Growing up Huntzberger
by MWMaenad
Summary: Logan's entire life suddenly changes. Can Rory help him adjust? Will they be able to work out their problems? Rogan. R&R please. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Rory stared at yet another bouquet of flowers in front of her door. She sighed to herself, both wondering when Logan would finally give up, and how long she could hold out against him. She had to admit that she did still love him, even if he had broken up with her without even the courtesy of letting her know.

She picked up the expensive bouquet and brought it inside, trying to find a place for it among the others in the tiny apartment. Fortunately, Paris wasn't there to bother her about all the gifts she had been getting, and psychoanalyze her some more. Although, maybe she could do with a little psychoanalysis.

Logan hadn't taken the hint yet, and she wasn't sure when he would, that she wasn't about to forgive him for what he had done. At least not yet.

She felt differently a week later though, when there were no new bouquets, no coffee carts, no surprise presents, no Logan. She didn't see him or hear anything about him all week, and started to get concerned. 'Is he that fickle?' she thought.

Paris seemed to read her thoughts.

"I haven't seen Huntzberger lately." She commented. "Do you think he finally got the hint? It took him long enough."

"I guess so." said Rory, somewhat sadly. She missed Logan in spite of herself. And then quickly left the room as Paris prepared to "attack" Doyle. Rory still hadn't been able to determine what exactly was Krav Maga and when it was about to turn into sex.

Then, without warning, there was Logan, sitting in front of her door when she came home from school. He looked terrible, and Rory's heart instantly went out to him. He looked up at her, and she instantly knew that something was different. But despite how she felt, she said coldly "What are you doing here Logan?"

And without warning, tears fell from Logan's eyes. "Rory, I really need help. Everything is so fucked up, I have no idea what to do."

Rory was shocked. She had never expected to see him cry. She forgot her anger and could only feel concern.

"What happened? Where have you been the last couple weeks? I haven't seen you at the paper or anything. Were you avoiding me?"

"No, I wasn't at school at all. Rory, I can't talk about this in the hall, can we please go inside?"

For the first time Logan seemed to lack all that cocky confidence that normally attracted Rory to him.

"Yeah, sure come in." Rory started the elaborate process of opening the locks to get into the cramped apartment. Glancing back at Logan she noticed that he wasn't as impeccably dressed as normal. His clothes were wrinkled, and looked like he had slept in them.

No sooner had they gotten through the door when Logan broke down.

"Everything is so fucked up, Ace. You won't believe, I have nothing. No money, no family really."

"What?" asked Rory, shocked. "What happened? Did you piss off your dad? I'm sure he will forgive you."

"Not this time. Because I didn't do anything this time. It's mom. Turns out she cheated on my dad, and well... he isn't really my dad at all. Which actually explains a lot." Logan tried to joke, but Rory could tell that his world had fallen apart. "When he found out, he threw me out, and Mom. He said he didn't want anything to do with either of us again, and couldn't believe he had wasted all that money on us."

"Logan, no matter who your father is, he is your dad. How could he do that to you? I'm sure he'll repent. I mean, he raised you."

"Yeah, he did, if you can call leaving me with an au pair raising. But we haven't gotten along in a long time, and I know that he was disappointed in me. Now he has a reason to get rid of me, and I'm sure he wouldn't want an illegitimate child in charge of the Huntzberger fortune."

"How did he find out? Did your mom tell him?"

"No, my "real" dad showed up trying to get money from my mom. My mom couldn't get that much money without my dad knowing, and the whole thing came out. My dad didn't want to believe it at first, but he got a paternity test done, and turns out it was true, I'm not his son."

"What about your sister?" Rory was hesitant to ask.

"Oh she is a Huntzberger, and she wanted to help me out but my dad, uh Mitchum, forbade it and wouldn't even let her talk to me. I've never seen him that angry."

"So who is your real dad?"

"Oh my mom had good taste all right. He's some drunk who worked on the roof for a while. He has no money, and wants nothing to do with either of us. My mom's staying with one of her sisters, but she blames me for all the problems and won't help me out."

"Where have you been staying?" Rory knew she was asking a lot of questions, but was still in disbelief over what Logan was telling her. How could so much have changed in a few short weeks?

"I stayed with a couple of friends, here and there but they have all been different since they found out. Like I'm somehow not the same person, or because I don't have any money suddenly we aren't friends anymore. Rory I have no idea what I'm going to do. All my life I was raised and trained for one thing, something I didn't even want, and now I can't have it I'm lost."

"Why did you come here?" Rory said this somewhat sullenly. She had been angry at Logan for the last few weeks and then here he was, wanting help. What could she do? Did she even want to help? But she realized that just like before her heart went out to him. She felt herself melting and couldn't bear to see him this unhappy.

"I came here because I realized that you aren't shallow, like my other friends. You always liked me for who I was. I know I fucked up, I should never have broken up with you and I'm really sorry. I regretted it as soon as I did it, and I've been trying to apologize ever since. Rory please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you. I'll understand if you don't want to be with me, considering what I did and whats happened since then, and I'll also understand if you don't even want to be my friend. I know I'm not who you thought I was anymore. I'm not who I thought _I_ was, I don't even know who I am."

Rory stopped his speech by pulling him close to her in a hug.

"Logan none of that matters right now. And you have a place to stay right here. We are going to figure something out. And I really can't believe that your dad won't relent and take you back into the family or your mom won't at least help you out a little. Mitchum can't stay mad forever, so I'm sure Honor would help you too."

"I wouldn't count on any of that." Logan said wearily. "I've lost my charm. I guess it was just money after all."

"Don't be silly." Rory wasn't sure to say to Logan. She wasn't sure what their relationship was now. She was still trying to digest the news. She tried to imagine what had happened to him, how he must feel. Like if the entire course of her life suddenly changed and what before had been a sure thing was now non existent. What if her dad wasn't her dad? But then she had so many more people supporting her than Logan did. She had her mom, who would always be there, no matter what. She had her grandparents who would love her regardless who her father was. She had her town, and Luke.

"Logan, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He looked scared. "I've never had to think about that before. I've never thought about anything but what I wanted to do."

"Yeah, I know." She said slowly, sympathetically. She looked around the room, wishing she had something to offer him, some way to comfort him, but there was nothing she could do. Logan had lost everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Logan woke up early the next morning, shifting on the tiny bed next to Rory. For about the first time in his life he had spent the night next to someone, holding someone, being comforted and didn't have sex. He looked over at the sleeping girl next to him. She was an angel. He couldn't believe that despite how much he had hurt her she was willing to drop her anger when he needed help. She really cared. Of course she could easily end up like his other friends. They too had initially had sympathy for him, had helped him out but then that wore thin when they realized the reality of his situation. It wasn't romantic or poetic, and it wasn't going to change. He was poor, had no family to speak of, and no future. He had nothing. Logan rarely cried, but when all this had happened he had cried, not only for himself and his future, but for his mother, and even for Mitchum. He had cried for the family they used to be. Dysfunctional yes, but still a family. And now everything was shattered. His parents were split, his father (Mitchum would always be his real father) had lost his only son, and worse than that, he couldn't forgive either Logan or his mother for what had happened.

Logan realized how angry he was, both at his mother and at his biological father. They had both messed up his life before he even existed. He fumed internally about his mother being such a slut. And she had gone all these years without telling him, without telling her husband. How could she have done this to them? And then this other guy, this other father guy, who had used him, his existence, to extort money from his mother. What a nice guy. Wasn't he lucky to have a father like him?

Logan slowly got out of bed, and walked to the window. He was wearing only his boxers, because that was all he had to sleep in. He didn't even have a dollar to his name now. He stood at the window and looked out at what he could see of the Yale campus. That future was gone. It had slowly slipped away even, starting with his parents, and the money, then losing Yale, then his friends. The only thing left to lose was Rory to make his life a total and complete failure before it had even really begun.

Determined not to let her down, Logan dressed himself, trying his best to straighten out his clothes. He knew they looked bad. They hadn't been ironed, there was no one to clean up after him now. He looked again at the sleeping girl, wondered how to protect her. He had lost everything but he wanted her to keep her charmed life.

He wrote a quick note, explaining that he had gone out but would return later and then slipped quietly out the door, thankful that Paris wasn't there. Paris probably still thought that Rory was angry with Logan and he knew that Paris had never liked him, so he didn't want to have a loud confrontation with her while Rory was asleep. Especially not today.

Logan had begun to form some kind of plan, some plan to make up for what had happened, to make himself worthy to Rory. He knew she didn't care who his parents were, but she wouldn't want a useless, poor boyfriend who hung around and moped all the time. And he couldn't depend on her to provide for him forever, she wasn't exactly affluent herself.

He walked to the campus library, a place he had rarely been before and got on the computer. It didn't take him long to whip up a resume, and unfortunately it looked very insufficient. 'I haven't done much with my life so far.' he thought. But that was going to change. Logan had always been afraid of things that didn't come easy to him. Money, he had always had, women had always followed. Even writing came easy to him because of his intelligence. But hard work, that was something new. And trying for something, possibly failing, was also new.

Logan took a deep breath as he printed several copies of his resume. At least right now he still had a student account. He then drew himself up out of the chair, trying to suppress the worry he was feeling.

With a confident step but trembling inside Logan walked out of the library to all of the surrounding stores, putting in applications and dropping off resumes. It was the longest morning he had ever had. Most stores weren't hiring. Logan had to get over his shame of being a person behind a counter, of having to wait on somebody. He had trouble humbling himself to the position, but then remembered his own origins and realized that he had more to be ashamed of in his family than most of the people behind the counters did about their jobs.

He thought about applying at all the pubs and clubs he was used to hanging out in but realized that it would be way too humiliating to wait on his friends or former friends. And besides that, he had an existing tab at most of these places which now he was unable to pay off.

Still, he did his best and filled out at least a dozen applications before he decided to end the job search and go back to Rory's room. He still didn't know if she was mad at him and had taken him in out of pity or if she still had feelings for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Rory had left almost as soon as she got up in the morning. She had woken up a long, and turned to look around for Logan. It had been strange sleeping so close to him, feeling his warmth and not having sex. She was still strongly attracted to him, even if they had broken up. She felt better once she saw his note. All it said was "I left for a little while but I'll be back this afternoon. -Logan."

Rory decided that she would do all that she could to help Logan out.

So, with that in mind she got in her car and headed to see her grandparents. She debated going to Stars Hollow to talk to her mom, but Lorelai had never been a huge fan of Logan, while her grandparents couldn't have been more thrilled when they started dating. She knew she could count on support from them.

Rory was tense and nervous in the car, wondering the entire time what she was going to say exactly. He wasn't her boyfriend anymore, but maybe they were getting back together? She decided that it was only a slight stretch to call him her boyfriend to her grandparents.

By the time she got there, Rory had pretty much planned out what she was going to say. If anyone could help Logan it was definitely her grandparents.

She stepped out of the car and rang the doorbell, trying to quickly wipe her sweaty palm on her jeans.

Her grandmother opened the door. "Rory!" she said in shock. "What are you doing here, is everything all right?"

Rory nodded quickly. "Yes, I just need to talk to you and Grandpa."

Emily held open the door. "Come right on in Rory. I'll have Bertha prepare some tea. Bertha! Tea please!" she called into the kitchen. "Your grandfather is in his study, I'll go get him. In the mean time, take a seat."

She walked towards the study. "Richard! Rory is here. She says she needs to talk to us."

"Oh Rory, what brings you here?" Richard asked as he stepped out of the study. He was, as always, happy to see her.

Rory took a deep breath before starting. "Okay, Grandma, Grandpa, it's about Logan."

"Oh don't even mention that reprobate!" spat out Emily. "I've heard what happened and I applaud Mitchum. That boy was far too wild."

Rory opened her mouth, shocked. "Grandma, he's my boyfriend!" she said, unable to fathom how her grandparents opinion could have changed so rapidly.

Emily looked askance at Rory. "Really Rory, you can't continue to date this boy. He is practically a hoodlum. He has no breeding at all."

Rory felt her face burning. "Not too long ago you were so excited that I was dating him, you said he had great breeding, you couldn't say enough good things about him. How did this all suddenly change? He hasn't changed!"

Emily looked shocked. "You will not speak to me in that tone of voice Rory. Now Logan did come from a good family, which made me at first overlook his _many _faults, but he really isn't suitable company for you. His mother is practically a hooker, and his father" here Emily stopped to shudder. "Is a roofer and a drunk. Rory really, you have to think about your future. Your grandfather and I only want what is best for you. And have you seen that boys criminal record. You might as well be dating Jess all over again. Talk about bad breeding."

Rory wanted to cry with frustration. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Logan is a really good guy, and he didn't deserve any of this. I can't believe that you are so judgmental that you can't even see how wrong you are. It doesn't matter who his father is, all that matters is that he is a good person and my boyfriend and he treats me well. I can't believe what hypocrites you are."

Tears had started to slip down Rory's face as she said this, and then without another look at her grandparents shocked and hurt faces she turned around and abruptly left, getting back into her car and driving off as fast as possible.

As soon as she had regained a little of her composure she called her mom. She knew her grandparents were going to call or already had called to tell Lorelai of her outburst and she wanted to give her mom the whole story as soon as possible.

After a couple rings her mom picked up. "Hello? Mom if this is you again I don't want to talk."

"No mom, it's me." said Rory with a sniffle.

"Rory, you will not believe who just called me!"

"Grandma?" Rory guessed.

"Give the lady a prize! Now what happened between you. She just started on this rant about you and how you yelled at them and how someone, I'm not sure if it was you or me, has no manners, or didn't teach manners, and then something about Logan not having good breeding and thats about where I cut her off, told her you probably had a good reason to yell at her, and hung up. Now please tell me I wasn't wrong for defending you."

"You weren't mom, they were horrible. I can't believe how they acted!" Rory exclaimed, bursting into tears once more.  
"Rory are you driving?"

"Yes."

"Pull over and we'll talk. Tell me what happened."

Rory pulled her car over and sniffled again. "Okay you know how Logan and I broke up?"

"Yes.." said Lorelai.

"Well yesterday he came over and at first I didn't want to talk to him but then there was something wrong and we got to talking. Well it turns out his dad isn't his dad, and he and his mom were kicked out with no money. Well we talked a bit and then today I stopped by to see Grandma and Grandpa to see if they knew of a job for him or could help them and they were total snobs! Now they suddenly hate him because his real dad was a roofer or something."

"What? A roofer?" Lorelai was momentarily distracted by the scandal.

"Mom can you focus? What am I going to do? Logan has nothing, he can't stay in Yale, my grandparents hate him now, and I yelled at them." Rory wondered if things were ever going to be the same again.

"Rory you aren't going to like to hear this, but it isn't really your problem. I mean, Logan broke up with you and you weren't even speaking for a while. You don't owe him anything, and you shouldn't sacrifice your career or your school for him."

"I know that I don't owe him anything, but I still love him. And he came to me, I can't turn him away. I have to figure out something."

"He's a big boy, he has to learn to stand on his own feet."

"He's never had to do anything for himself. He needs help. We need help."

"Rory you know I'd like to help, but there isn't anything I can do. There is no room at the inn right now, we have no spare cash, the house is being worked on and I don't like him. Sorry kid, but he needs to take care of himself. He is old enough to do something on his own. And you shouldn't be dragged down with him.."

"Fine." said Rory, knowing there was some truth to what her mom said but not wanting to acknowledge it.

"Kid be careful what you get into." Lorelai cautioned.

"I will. Bye."

Rory shut her phone off and stared at the road ahead. She heard Lorelai's words repeating in her head. But as much as she knew she should distance her self it wasn't possible anymore. Her feelings weren't going to go away. She was committed now, whether she liked it or not. She was involved and she was going to help Logan.


	4. Chapter 4

When Rory got back to her room she found Logan there waiting for her.

She gave him a quick hug without thinking. Logan smiled at her. She noticed that he looked tired and worn, but there was a new look of determination on his face.

"Where were you?" she asked.

"I went to look for a job." he responded.

Rory looked surprised. "Where? Will you still have to leave Yale?"

"I looked just about everywhere around here." he responded. "I'll have to wait and see if anyone will hire me. I can't go to Yale now, Mitchum demanded his money back and had me pulled out of school. He didn't want any of his money to fund anymore of my education. And he never even paid the second semester tuition yet. Besides, I'm not even sure thats what I can do now. I won't be able to support myself and I don't know what kind of job I can get after I graduate. I'm not even doing so well in school right now as it is. But lets not talk about that, where were you?"

Wanting to spare his feelings Rory lied and told him that she had been in class. The things her grandparents had said were just too cruel to repeat, especially to someone who was probably not feeling too good about himself anyway.

Logan felt hopeful though for the first time in weeks. He felt like he had some goal, some future. Maybe not the one he thought he would have, but now at least he had options.

Feeling better Logan regained some of his buoyant good spirits. Rory felt better too, seeing him smile again. She also didn't mention that she had talked to her mom.

Rory hoped that his mood was indicative of good things to come. Maybe Logan didn't need his family. It was possible that he would be okay on his own. But what about them? Rory wasn't sure how to bring up the subject. Of course Logan had other things to think of right now besides their relationship. And he had made a lot of efforts to get her back last week, but how serious was he? Was all that changed now that he had no money? Did he just want her help and nothing more?

Confused questions ran through Rory's head as she glanced over at Logan. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Somehow he seemed to sense her worries.

"Hey Ace." he said, nudging her arm a little. "Thanks for helping me out. I know you were mad at me, but are we at least friends now?"

"Yeah, I guess so." she said. "I'll be here for you, but you have to be here too. You need to be more dependable than you have been in the past."

Logan nodded. "I will be."

Rory was glad that they had talked a little, but still wasn't sure where their relationship stood. She learned a minute later when, unable to hold back anymore Logan turned her to him and pressed his lips against hers. Rory's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't realized just how much she had missed him, the feel of him, the smell of him.

Recovering from her first surprise she returned his kiss. They didn't have to talk about their relationship, they knew that they couldn't be around each other and stay just friends. Then Paris, with her usual perfect timing knocked on the door.

"Rory?" she called.

Rory broke the kiss reluctantly and opened the bedroom door.

"What Paris?"

"Well you haven't really said anything to me, or bothered to consult me, but can I assume that Huntzberger is staying?"

A flash of anger crossed Logan's face. "Don't call me that." he said quietly.

"Fine, Don Juan, what would you like to be called?" Paris asked, wanting to get back to the real issue.

Logan looked confused. "Just Logan I guess." He had realized for the first time that he didn't have a name. He wasn't a Huntzberger anymore and he hadn't even asked what his biological fathers last name was. Besides, his real father didn't want him and he certainly didn't want his real father.

"Okay, whatever." said Paris impatiently. "Is he going to be living her?" she asked turning back to Rory.

"I guess, at least for now. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, everything just happened all at once. And he doesn't have anywhere else to stay. Is that going to be a problem?"

Paris glared slightly at Logan. There was no love lost between them.

"If he is going to stay, there have to be a few ground rules." Before Rory even had time to respond she continued. "One, he doesn't go in my and Doyle's room. Two, he doesn't bother me, or Doyle. Three, he learns the system of getting in and keeps this place safe. Four, he doesn't flash his money around here, we don't want to get robbed. Five, he chips in for the rent and six, I can add to the rules as I see fit."

"Okay, my turn to talk?" Rory asked. "We won't bother you, or Doyle. I don't think you have to worry about him flashing his money around, and together we will pay for half this apartment. But he should be treated like an equal roommate, which means a set of keys, the right to go where he wants, etc."

Rory didn't tell Paris what had happened with Logan and his family. She wasn't sure why, except that she didn't know if Logan would want her to know and also that maybe Paris wouldn't let him stay if she knew how poor he was.

They finally worked out the terms under which Logan could stay. Logan felt relieved that Paris had finally agreed to him living here. He knew that Paris didn't care for him, and certainly Doyle didn't, but Paris could talk Doyle into anything.

When Paris finally left Rory smiled over at Logan.  
"Welcome to the apartment, roomie." she said.

They came together again as if drawn by magnets. Logan smiled back at her and then leaned in for a long, slow kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days Logan and Rory spent a lot of time getting reacquainted. In bed. Rory's grandmother had called the next day and told Rory that regardless of what was happening between them she was still expected at Friday night dinner that week. Rory started to realize why her mother felt the way she did about her parents. But she didn't let it ruin the next few days.

They felt like they were back in the beginning of their relationship, where it was nothing but talking and sex, mixed in with tv and cuddling. As the days went on though Logan began to get anxious for calls about the jobs and Rory had to get back to Yale and all her homework.

They spent the nights together though, laying around watching movies, tv, whatever. They didn't talk about the future. Logan's optimism pervaded the entire apartment. He felt strong, self sufficient. He wouldn't need anything from anybody soon.

Rory too felt the change from when he had first come. As if now that they were back together he had a plan, he had something to work towards and the rest didn't matter. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to be suddenly poor, to have everyone look down on him and treat him differently. But maybe Logan could grow up after all. Maybe he could evolve into a real person, who could provide for himself and have something to offer someone besides money.

They were in one of these times where they just sat together, watched tv and said nothing. Rory rested her head on his shoulder, cuddled up against him. Logan turned his head to lightly kiss her on the forehead, smiling as she lifted her head to look up at him. Logan was wearing a new set of clothes that Rory had bought him and had combed and trimmed his hair. He looked like a cheap imitation of his former self, but Rory didn't care. It wasn't the external things that drew her to Logan, and in essentials he was still the same as always. But there was still some awkwardness between them during the intervals where there was no conversation. They were still figuring out how exactly to relate to each other again, when Paris burst in.

"I know what happened Rory, why didn't you tell me?" she asked angrily. "Logan has nothing and he is staying here, eating our food!"

"Paris, I didn't tell you before because it didn't matter. I'm contributing his share for now, and he is applying everywhere for jobs." Rory started to defend Logan, but he touched her arm, silently asking her to be quiet, to let him stand up for himself.

"I may not have a family now but I'm not just trying to live off everyone else." he told Paris. "I'm going to pay back Rory every cent when I get a job, and I'll be able to carry my own weight too, so you don't to worry."

"I'd still rather be informed before I invite someone into my apartment. Although I guess I didn't even invite you, you just came on in." Paris was not pacified by their assurances that he wouldn't be any trouble.

"Look, I don't like you and you don't like me but I'm not here to make any trouble. Rory and I are together so if you don't want me, she and I will find a new place together." Logan was hoping that Paris wouldn't call his bluff because he knew that there was no way Rory could afford to pay any more than she already was.

"Fine stay." said Paris. She needed Rory's help paying for the apartment as well. "Just don't expect to be cut any slack, okay? You are just like the rest of us now and you better get used to it."

With that she turned and marched into her room, leaving Rory and Logan together on the couch.

"Don't listen to her." said Rory. "You know Paris. Everything is a big deal at first but she will settle down."

Logan nodded thoughtfully. "How are you with money?" he finally asked. The question had been bothering him for a while but he couldn't find the right way to bring it up. Not when things were so perfect between them, when they were having so much fun. Rory sat up a little. "I'm doing okay, as long as nothing unexpected comes up. My grandparents are paying for Yale and my mom helps me out. If you get a job soon we should have no problem making things work."

Logan leaned in to kiss her. "Good. I hate having to use your money, but I'm glad that you are fine. I will pay you back, I promise."

Despite all that had happened Logan felt confident that he would find work soon, that everything was going to be just fine. He didn't need the Huntzberger name or money, he had Rory.


	6. Chapter 6

Logan was home by himself on Friday afternoon while Rory was in class. He sat around watching tv but couldn't contain his restlessness. He needed to get out, to do something. Sitting and waiting was torture when he didn't have the patience for it. But all he could do was wait. His future now depended on someone else, and they seemed slow about getting around to it.

He flipped through the channels and finally gave up, throwing the remote down on the couch. There had to be something he could do. For himself, for Rory to take his mind off of everything. Just as he was looking around debating what to do next the phone rang.

Logan hesitated then picked up the phone. "Hello this is Logan Huntzberger." he said. He had decided to stick with Huntzberger for now. It was his legal name after all and he sure as hell wasn't taking the name of some drunken loser.

"Hello Logan. This is Pat from Book Emporium." A friendly female voice chipped in. "I'm calling in regards to the application you put in."

Logan smiled. Finally a response. "Mr. Huntzberger I'm sorry but after running a background check we feel that you would not be a good fit at the Book Emporium. I wish you the best of luck in finding more suitable employment."

Logan could barely speak enough to respond.

"Thank you for your call." he said politely, then put down the phone. His first call, his first rejection. He hadn't considered his extensive criminal record when applying for jobs. It hadn't mattered before, he had been rich, but now his record did matter, could stop him from finding any work. Who would want to hire him? The thought had suddenly occurred to him. Suddenly it wasn't childish pranks anymore, it was criminal activity. He wasn't a bored rich kid anymore, he was a troublemaker. Nobody would want to risk hiring him.

Logan waited the rest of the afternoon as the calls came in. It was one rejection after another. He realized that as it was, no one would be giving him a job. There were so many more qualified applicants around, who didn't have a criminal record, who did have experience. Tears pushed at the back of Logan's eyes but he fought them with all his might. He wasn't a baby. All those pranks that he had done, all the stunts and the theft had seemed so innocent before but now he realized that it was a good chance that they would haunt him for the rest of his life. And worse than that he only had himself to blame.

He also felt overwhelming humiliation. He had gone into the jobs feeling like they were lucky to have him, like he was too good to work somewhere like that. And now they were the ones that were too good to hire someone like him.

Logan tried to come up with some alternate plan but nothing suggested himself. He had been so confident that he could find a job. That every store would want to offer him a job. He had attended Yale after all. He had grown up as a Huntzberger. He was intelligent. He needed it.

But no, all he got was a lot of calls saying that they weren't interested, try somewhere else.

He realized that he didn't even know how bad his criminal record was. He couldn't remember what he had been able to get out of, what he hadn't, what was on his record, how many things he had actually done.

To make it worse, Rory would be home soon, and he couldn't face her. Not right now, not in this mood. Quickly Logan grabbed his coat and retreated to the outside. He wandered downstairs, really noticing the building for the first time since moving in. Noticing how bad it looked, how old. He thought of Rory walking through that place every day. The thought was painful. She didn't belong in a place this bad, a place where she could get hurt. Paris could obviously take care of herself but what was Rory going to do. And now Logan had stranded her here, in this horrible place. He felt like an anchor that tied her down to everything bad. She had to live here because she couldn't afford anything else, especially now that she had to take care of him. But how was he supposed to earn any money if they wouldn't let him work? How was he supposed to get any skills if no one would give him a chance?

Logan hurried away from the building, wanting to be anywhere but where Rory would be. What would she say? Would she reconsider being with him?

He had a million questions but no answers.


	7. Chapter 7

When Rory got to the apartment she found that Logan wasn't there. She looked around for some kind of note or message, a hint as to where he was but found nothing. His jacket was gone and so was he. Rory was concerned and annoyed. She had warned him to be more reliable and she needed to know where he was when he wasn't here. What if something happened to him? He didn't even have a cell phone anymore so there was no way that she could reach him.

Biting her lip in annoyance Rory looked at the clock and inwardly groaned. Great, so not only was Logan not here but she had to get ready to go to Friday night dinner. And she was fighting with her grandparents. Perfect. Just perfect.

She hopped into the shower to freshen up and changed into different clothes. She was still too angry at her grandparents to bother wanting to dress up. Half an hour had passed and still no Logan appeared. Rory waited as long as she could, putting off the moment when she would have to leave. She needed Logan to be there, to say something that would make her feel better. Although he didn't know about the fight she had with her grandparents. Still, it would be nice not to have to worry about him too with everything going on.

Finally, unable to wait she left a quick note on her door and headed out.

Rory stood on the doorstep, willing herself to ring the doorbell and put this evening behind her as fast as possible. But she wouldn't move. She dreaded having to talk to her grandparents, dreaded more that they would talk about Logan, say any of those things again that had hurt her so much the last time. And worse that she owed them, she owed them money and gratitude so she couldn't say what she was thinking. She would have to sit there and listen to everything they wanted to say and deal with it.

Finally Rory took a deep breath and pushed the doorknob, flinching a little at the loud sound that followed.

The maid opened the door and took her coat. And there was grandma, looking at Rory somewhat coldly. She did her patented 'of course there is nothing wrong' act with so much ice in that Rory was sure this was how her mother had felt growing up.

Rory sat cautiously on the end of the couch, waiting for the time to be up when she could leave. It had never felt so uncomfortable here. And Rory was determined not to apologize. Her grandparents were wrong to talk about Logan that way, especially since not too long before they had welcomed him into their house, and practically had the two of them married with kids. Her stomach twisted when she thought about Logan and what he was doing. Why hadn't he left a note?

Her grandfather didn't look up from his newspaper, as if wanting to avoid Rory all together. Finally Emily came into the room as well, bringing Rory a coke.

"So how is school?" Emily made the perfunctory polite conversation.

"Fine Grandma." Rory said tightly, between clenched teeth.

"Your classes going well?"

"Yes."

"Did you get rid of that insufferable dandy?"

"If you mean Logan, than no." Rory said with ire.

"Rory I know you think we are horrible and we just want to interfere with your life but you need to be aware of who you are friends with. Your friends can influence the rest of your life. You don't want to be tied down to someone who will never amount to anything."

"Grandma if you are going to talk about Logan then I'm going to leave. He doesn't deserve to be spoken of that way, and besides I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions."

"Fine. If you know everything than date Logan, marry him, but count on it you will be throwing your life away for someone who will probably skip out on you the first time a better offer comes along."

Rory stood up quickly, about to walk out but she swallowed her anger and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She didn't want to fight with her grandparents but she couldn't believe they could be so judgmental about someone they had liked before.

It seemed like an eternity before the maid came in to announce that dinner was ready. They ate in virtual silence, no one wanting to speak or apologize, but somehow Rory made it through dinner.

She didn't want to drag the evening on with desert so she stood up after eating dinner. "Grandma, grandpa, I've got lots of homework, I have to go."

"Bye Rory." said Richard, more or less pleasantly.

"See you next week." Emily said looking meaningfully at the girl.

Rory nodded, took her coat from the maid and left. She hoped that Logan would be waiting when she got back because it had been a hell of a night and she could use some comfort.


	8. Chapter 8

Logan wasn't there when she got back. He had walked out without much direction, just wanting to be away, wanting not to have to face her. He had walked somewhat aimlessly at first until he had reached into his pocket and found twenty dollars that Rory had given him, in case he needed something or in case he had to take the bus. Well he did need something, a drink.

He made his way to a bar where he quickly drank through the twenty dollars he did have and a few twenties that he didn't. Several of the girls in the bar immediately noticed the handsome blond man, sitting by himself and drinking for four. One girl finally approached him. "Hey baby, what are you doing tonight?" she asked with a suggestive tone in her voice.

"Nothing." he replied looking down. He couldn't deny how good it felt to feel that he was attractive still. She sat next to him, touching his arm. At his touch Logan woke up from is fog just enough to brush her hand away. He could look, and liked to be looked at, but thinking of Rory he didn't let her touch him. And he didn't regret his decision. She stayed only long enough to find out that he wasn't interested, and more importantly he wasn't rich. Then she drifted back off to one of the other recesses of the smoky bar, hopefully to tell her friends to leave him alone.

Several hours passed this way, until Logan finally got up, stumbled out of the bar. He didn't want to go home yet, if he could call Paris's apartment home. He was still too angry, too frustrated to think clearly, not to mention too drunk.

Thinking about his mother and father the anger welled up in him. And also sadness. Sure he and Mitchum had never had a great relationship, but he was still the closest thing Logan had to a father. In a moment of weakness Logan turned and headed for his old house. He was sure that if he saw his father, talked to him everything would be okay again. Things would be normal. He would clean up his act, finish school, get a job, make him proud.

Logan finally made his way to his old home. Before it had seemed so cold and foreboding, now it was welcome, it made him want to cry for the home he had lost, the family he had lost. Logan walked up the steps, and without hesitation rang the bell. The maid finally came to the door. She looked shocked to see him.

"Let me in please." Logan slurred these words slightly. "I need to talk to Mitchum right away."

The maid gestured for him to wait, then disappeared into the house. Finally Mitchum Huntzberger came to the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. If Logan hadn't been so drunk he would have seen the ice in Mitchum's eyes, the coldness in his demeanor.

"Dad, I don't care what the tests say, you are my father and nothing can change that. Please let me come home." Logan begged. "I know I screwed up before but I will be better this time. I can't live without my family."

Mitchum didn't seem to care. "Then go back to that whore of a mother. You aren't welcome here." With that Mitchum Huntzberger turned and started to close the door. "Oh, and don't use the name Huntzberger anymore. Look at you, you're a disgrace." and with that he finally shut the door on Logan, leaving him outside.

Logan reeled with confusion, and hurt at how little Mitchum had cared. He couldn't believe that thats all there was to it, that their relationship was over. He was about to collapse on the stairs when a male servant came and shooed him off the property, telling him that he would be arrested for trespassing if he set foot there again.

Logan couldn't hold back the tears now. He had always believed that somewhere deep down his dad had a soft spot for him, that somehow they would find something to connect on and now that was gone forever. He didn't think that anyone could be that cruel and spiteful.

The tears soon dried up though as Logan hailed a taxi. He had someone he needed to talk to.

His anger mounted throughout the drive. None of this was his fault, but he was the one getting punished. And he knew that he would have to face Rory when she got home, and she was going to be angry. After all, he had skipped out without letting her know where he was going, he didn't have a job and he was drunk. And taking a taxi he couldn't pay for. Yeah, he was in for a real treat when he got home.

The taxi finally pulled up to the modest, if not somewhat dumpy house. 'So this is where mom is staying.' Logan thought. His mom had been ashamed of her poor relatives, so he had never met this aunt. And he didn't think he was going to make any kind of good impression tonight. "Wait here." he instructed the taxi driver, getting out and going up to the door. He tripped on the way over a couple of kids toys in the yard. 'Yup, still drunk.' he thought to himself.

He knocked on the door, not even wanting to bother looking for a door bell. Finally the door opened slightly and there stood Shira, looking equally drunk.

Without a word, she reached out and slapped Logan hard across his cheek. "What the hell are you doing here?" she spat out. "You ruined my life. My marriage was perfect and then of course you had to be born and ruin everything. You were always a difficult child."

Logan grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again, but didn't return the blows. He felt just as angry as she did.  
"I ruined your life?" he said with a bitter laugh. "Thats a new one. What about you are such a whore that you couldn't help sleeping with the roofer and then not bothering to tell me who my dad is for 20 years."

"Don't you talk to me that way!" she thundered, swinging with her other hand that held an almost empty glass of something.

"I came here to tell you that I hate you. Because of you I have nothing. I'm nobody, with no future. And if you had been any kind of wife or mother none of this ever would have happened. So no matter what happens in the future, you are dead to me." Logan released his mother, and having said what he wanted to turned and went back to the car.

To his surprise his mom said nothing, just stood stunned in the doorway watching him walk out of her life.

He got back the the cab and sat there for a minute. Then he pulled out his wallet, and looked at the sheet of paper in there. A copy of the paper that proved once and for all that he wasn't a Huntzberger. So what was he? He hadn't looked before.

Squinting at the paper, trying to make the words focus he read the name. "Pete Tralvey, 99.9 certainty that he is the biological father." he said this more to himself but the cab driver looked over at him.

"What did you say kid?" he asked, impatient to be paid.

"Oh nothing." Logan looked at the address on the paper and gave that address to the cab driver. There was one last person he had to confront tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

The cab driver didn't question him, just assuming that he would be paid at the end of the night. Logan looked like a rich kid, even though he was drinking and yelling at decrepit people on dirty lawns at night.

Logan sat silently in the car trying to figure out what to say to the guy. He hadn't really looked at him when he saw him once before. Everything had been different, the guy hadn't been his father, he had just been some bum.

Logan was still wondering when the cab pulled up to a very small, very dirty dwelling. Logan stepped out and looked disdainfully at the trash piled all around. Old furniture littered the yard. Weeds grew around it and the grass had gone to seed. A smell emanated from all around. It was impossible to pinpoint the source.

Logan was too drunk to feel afraid though as he knocked on the door. It squeaked on its hinges as if barely hanging on.

A voice called roughly from inside "What do you want?"

Logan pounded harder. "Let me in, you bastard."

Finally he heard someone shuffling to the door. The man who appeared looked older than he probably was. He looked about 60, although he couldn't have been older than his late 40s. His dirty blonde hair hung raggedly down in front of his face. He wasn't wearing a shirt. And he too was drunk.

Logan didn't even bother to look closely before he threw wild punch, catching the other man on his chin. The guy staggered backwards, caught himself and put his hand in front of him.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Ain't you that son of mine, the Huntzberger kid?"

Logan took another swing and missed. "You ruined my life. You ruined my moms life. Why?" he spat out, unable to finish the question.

"Look around kid, I needed the money."

Logan swung again, falling down on the grass. Once he fell down the older man tackled him all the way down, holding him. "Now I don't know what you are thinking coming here, but I want to make myself clear, all I wanted was some money. I didn't want a son, and you are old enough to take care of yourself. Now if you throw another punch I'm having you arrested."

Logan struggled and managed to throw the guy off him. His next punch caught his father in the stomach. They staggered to their feet, both angry now, trading punches in the lawn. Finally they stopped when they heard the sirens approaching and knew that the police were on their way. The cab driver had called on his cell phone when he saw the altercation turn violent.

The police put both of them in handcuffs and Logan found himself once again being pushed into the back of a cop car. Except this time he had no one to bail him out.

Logan found himself staring at the phone at the police station, wondering if he would have the nerve to call Rory. He was sure she was going to be angry and he wasn't at all sure that she would come and get him. At least he was more or less sober now.

He picked up the phone and slowly dialed. The phone had barely started to ring when Rory picked it up.

"Hello?" she said. Logan could hear the concern in her voice.

"Rory its me." he said.

"Where are you? I've been worried."

"Okay don't be mad but I'm in jail right now, using my phone call to call you."

"What!" Rory shrieked. "What did you do? God Logan you can't pull these stunts anymore."

"I know. I got drunk and got in a fight with my real father. I'm facing battery charges." Logan had trouble saying it.

"Logan if you are going to just go around and get yourself in trouble then I can't help you. Get yourself out of this one."

Without another word Logan heard the phone click, and then the line go dead.

Rory sat in her apartment fuming. She had a long frustrating day in which she defended Logan to her grandparents and then came home to find out that once again he had fucked up. How could he be so irresponsible?

She sat for a few minutes trying to calm her thoughts. She had no idea what had possessed him to go down and see his father, to fight with him. Everything had been going so well.

Finally, after an hour of thinking and having time to calm down Rory finally got up, grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Logan looked up when he heard his name called. "You made bail kid." the guard told him as he led him out of the cell.

Logan's heart jumped. Had Rory changed her mind? And sure enough there she was. She looked pale, tired and still angry, but she was there.

Logan's head was pounding, making him regret all the drinking and the fighting. His lip was cut where his dad's fist had connected and one eye was beginning to swell.

Rory didn't even say a word to him as they walked out to the car. He wanted to apologize but knew that anything he said would just provoke a tirade.

As they drove back to the apartment she finally looked at him. "Okay so you want to explain?" Before Logan could speak she continued. "Because you know I would really like to know where you were today, why you smell like alcohol, why you were in a fight, why a cab driver came to my door with an enormous bill, why I had to drive back to Stars Hollow and beg Luke to loan me some money. I really hope you have a good explanation, because I can't wait to hear it."

"Rory I'm really sorry. I just got a lot of phone calls today from every place I applied to and every single one was a rejection because of my criminal record."

"So you decided to make it a little more impressive?"

Logan clenched his teeth in anger.

"I didn't know what to do so I went and got drunk. And then I went to see Mitchum and he threw me out of the yard. So I went to see my mom and she took a swing at me, and thats when I went to see my dad."

Rory slightly regretted being so harsh towards Logan but she was still angry.

"You can't handle things like that anymore Logan!" she yelled, exasperated. "You can't just go and drink because things didn't go your way. Nobody is going to be able to help you out of this if you have to go to jail."

Logan nodded wearily. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?" he asked.

"Fine." said Rory, parking the car. They got out and went upstairs without a word.

Rory grabbed a blanket from the bed and lay on the couch, leaving the bed for Logan. He marched into the room and shut the door, not wanting to talk to Rory anymore tonight. He realized that he had never even thanked her for coming to get him and bailing him out. He regretted that she had to borrow money to help him out, especially because right now he had no prospects of paying her back.

Logan lay in bed a long time, unable to sleep despite how tired he was. Finally he got up and started getting his things together. He didn't want to stay here anymore and cause more trouble for Rory. He opened the bedroom door quietly, hoping to be able to sneak past Rory.

He made it halfway through the room when Rory sat up. "What are you doing?" she asked accusingly.

She saw the bag in his hands.

"Typical." was all she said.

"What is?" asked Logan.

"It's typical of you to just leave. Things get tough and you are gone."

"I'm trying to save you the trouble of helping me out." Logan said indignantly.

"Well thanks then." Rory said sarcastically. "You know that is so like you. You do these things and then you blame me, or say its for my good. You bailed on our relationship before without even telling me because you freaked out or something and now you are leaving again because things are hard."

"You don't need all of this." Logan protested.

"I was there, I came to the police station to get you. It was my choice, I didn't have to go. Things got hard but I was there for you. I didn't like it, and I'm certainly not your biggest fan right now but I'm not going to just give up on us because something happened that I didn't like. But you, for you its so much easier to just walk away, forget about it, find someone else. Did you meet someone at the bar or something?"

"No Rory. I was just leaving because you deserve better than this."

"Logan you are what I want, but only if you are committed enough to stick with me. So if you aren't sure, leave because I don't want you here. I don't want to have to guess every day if you are going to be here, or leave a note or if you are just going to take off because you don't feel like being with me that day."

Logan, not sure what to say, dropped his bag and caught hold of Rory, pressing his lips against her until he felt her relax against him.

"Trust me Rory, I want to be with you. I just don't want to cause you that much trouble or make things harder for you."

"Logan we are in this together, okay?"

And they held each other, just standing there leaning on each other for support and comfort.


	11. Chapter 11

Logan stood before the judge alongside his father. Logan knew he was in more trouble because he had thrown the first punch, but the judge had little sympathy for anyone in his station of life.

He was facing charges for battery against his father but the other man, realizing that he was also getting in trouble for the fight was willing to drop the charges.

Rory hadn't been able to come to court that day because she had classes, so for the first time Logan stood there by himself.

His court appointed representative presented the case to the judge, that they had both caused a public disturbance but wanted to drop charges against each other.

Logan hadn't even bothered to pay attention at his last hearings so he wasn't quite sure what was going on now, but he knew that the charges wouldn't be as serious as he had previously thought. But definitely there would be something else to add to his record.

He looked up suddenly realizing that he had been lost in a reverie, thinking about his previous times standing here.

The judge was looking over his records, seeing how many times Logan had been there before. He shook his head.

"Young man, you are on your way towards some very serious legal troubles." The judge began, speaking in a pedantic tone. There was little sympathy in the voice. "Now I know that you have been able to get off before because your family was wealthy, but you have obviously learned nothing from your previous experiences. Unfortunately, this man is willing to drop the charges of battery against you, so the most that I can charge you with is public disturbance. But I am assigning you the maximum fine in hopes that I will not see you in here again."

The judge banged his gavel and Logan, crestfallen, followed his attorney out to fill out the necessary paperwork. He really needed to get some form of employment, to pay off this fine, to help out Rory, to pay back Luke.

He passes his real father as he exited the building. He made no move towards him, just said quietly. "When I am someone, don't you dare ever come to me for anything. Got that?"

The other man just gave him a dirty look, and a confused look. It was doubtful that Logan would ever be able to make anything of himself now.

As soon as he could Logan pulled out Rory's cell phone that she had lent him and called her at the apartment.  
"Hello?" A brusque voice queried.

"Hey Paris, is Rory there?" Logan asked.

Without hearing anything else from Paris, Logan heard the phone being passed to someone else.

"Hey Logan, how did it go?" Rory asked.

"I have a fine, but no jail time. Dear old dad dropped the charges."

"Thats not as bad as it could have been. But stay out of trouble now, okay?"

Logan smiled a little. "I promise. I'll be back in not too long."

He got into Rory's car and started it up, fully intending to keep his promise. He felt relieved to have the latest court date behind him and he certainly didn't want any more. The fine was bad enough but he easily could have ended up in jail for a while, which would look even worse when he was trying to get a job. But as he was getting ready to pull out a thought occurred to him and compelled him to change his direction and try something else, one of his last options.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all of the reviews and support. As some of you pointed out, Christopher would be a great option, but I hate him and don't want him anywhere near my story, so they are going to have to find some other way. Anyway thanks again and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic.

* * *

Logan drove quickly, not wanting to give himself time to back out of what he had determined to do. He didn't want to chicken out and turn back around and just go back to the apartment. He had to do this for himself, had to make this step, even if it just ended in another rejection.

He finally pulled up in front of the stately Gilmore house. They had been kind to him in the past, had approved of him and maybe they would help him out now. Of course he had no way of knowing that Rory had already gone to them and been turned down.

Logan stepped out of the car and went up to the bell. He rang without hesitation. Having determined his course all he had to do was follow through.

The maid answered the door.

"Gerta?" Logan asked, surprised. She had been a maid for the Huntzbergers around four years ago.

"Mister Logan?" she responded. In a breach of etiquette Logan reached out and gave her a quick hug.

"It's good to see you again." she said. "I'll tell Mrs. Gilmore that you are here."

Logan stepped into the foyer to wait.

Not too long afterwards Emily Gilmore came. She tried her hardest to be polite.

"Hello Logan." she said with a fake smile.

"Mrs. Gilmore." he said with a slight bow.

"Would you care for some tea?" she asked. Despite her dislike of Logan, Emily couldn't go against her breeding and be rude to her guest.

"Yes please." he responded. That way she would have to let him stay for tea, she would have to hear him out.

They sat down together.

"Mrs. Gilmore I'm sure you heard what happened with my family, but I want to assure you that no matter what happens with my parents I love your granddaughter and I want to be with her."

Emily frowned ever so slightly.

"I'm in a tight spot right now and I'm having some trouble finding work but I want to make my own way."

"Are you still in Yale?" she asked critically.

"No, I'm not. Mitchum had me pulled out of Yale by threatening to withdraw his funding."

Emily felt a slight bit of sympathy for the boy, despite his dubious parentage.

"What can I do for you Logan?" she asked to hurry him up.

"I came to you with the hopes that you could help me. I'm not looking for a handout, and I know you have no obligation to help me, but taking into account my relationship with your granddaughter is there any way that you could suggest some job or make a recommendation to someone on my behalf? I am having trouble finding work but I'm really serious about getting a job and I will work really hard. I want to make my own way, and even if I'm not going to graduate from Yale I want to be somebody and make something of myself."

"I'm not sure" Emily began but Logan cut her off.

"I know you probably hate me now, but I am with Rory and I hope it stays that way, so please help us out."

Emily Gilmore suddenly had a somewhat evil idea.

"Fine Logan, I can help you, at least temporarily. We need a new gardener. We have one who can train you. What do you say?"

Logan fumed internally, knowing that she was doing her best to humiliate him, but he wasn't about to let her win.

"Thank you very much." he said graciously. "When do you want me to start?"

"Tomorrow will be fine." she said. "Show up around 5:30 in the morning, go around back and talk to Carlos, he will show you what needs to be done. But don't expect much slack because you are dating Rory. I expect perfection and the yard reflects on both Richard and I so it is very important to us."

Logan stood up and extended his hand.

Emily barely touched it, with a look of disdain. Logan was now hired help, and she felt that it was beneath her to touch him.

"Martha, show him out the back door." she called.

When the maid came and she led Logan away he leaned in and asked "Where's Gerta?"

"Fired." the maid whispered back.

Logan wondered how Emily could fire someone and apparently hire someone new while he was in the room with her. He was definitely in for a treat working for her.

Finally able to have some pride, Logan got back in the car and drove to the apartment, eager to tell Rory what had happened. Of course it was a huge step down from his dreams, but at least he had a start now. Logan began to feel some of his normal self-assurance again. He was going to show her what a good gardener he could be, despite Emily Gilmore and her attempts to demean and humiliate him.


	13. Chapter 13

A few weeks later Logan was still hanging in there at work, although he worried about the future of his job once fall turned to winter and there wouldn't be much to do outside. Carlos had assured him that there was endless work for them, especially with the pool house which they were also responsible for the upkeep of.

The first day Logan had been sure that he would never make it through the day. He had realized just how little he knew when he had been put to work. Carlos had little patience for him because he had to meet the Gilmore demands on schedule and didn't have time to train anyone else. He did appreciate the extra pair of hands though. The work was very strenuous and it was difficult for Logan to learn to take orders instead of give them.

At first he had gone home every night with his body screaming for a rest. He had been sore every morning when he started work and his hands were easily cut by the plants. He came close to quitting several times when it seemed too difficult but he had stuck with it and kept trying to improve, or at least not get fired.

He soon realized that although Emily had no love for him she was giving him an honest chance to prove himself instead of looking for the first opportunity to fire him and knowing this made him dedicate as much effort as he could to his work.

Rory had been less than thrilled at first when she knew he had gone to her grandparents but they did have some cash coming in now which definitely helped them. They were both starting to realized that it might not be enough and Rory might need to get a job as well, especially as it was getting harder and harder for four people to share the small apartment.

Now that a few weeks had passed Logan reflected on how hard he had worked but how good he felt about himself. It was the best he had felt since that fateful day when a stranger had appeared claiming to be his dad. He was doing something on his own and he was doing okay. And he wasn't even confined to one life the way he had been before. He felt like eventually he would have any future opened up for him, not just the Huntzberger future that he had grown up with.

He looked down at his arms, dirty but strong and tan from hard work. His clothes were dirty too, and not the same quality he had been used to but he was starting to feel comfortable in them. It would be more humiliating to just disappear, to fade away and fail than to strive to be better.

Carlos came around the corner and looked approvingly at the flowers that Logan was working on. "You are getting the hang of it." was all he said before walking away. Logan was grateful that he had always been a quick study and able to pick things up without much effort. He was working more mechanically now which gave him time to think about the future, about Rory and how they were going to make things work together.

He grew more and more exhausted as the day wore on. He hadn't had the day off in the last few weeks and the strain was beginning to show. He was physically stronger than he had ever been, but he could really have used the break. The constant flow of money was a good trade off however.

Finally Carlos came back to him. "Hey Logan, you have the weekend off. Enjoy." he said as he tossed some cash to Logan.

"What's this?"

"Tip for working hard."

"From you or Mrs. Gilmore?" Logan asked.

"Of course from me. You are really learning fast though, and it's saved me a lot of work so I wanted to reward you a little. I worked for your family years ago when you were younger and I would have never guessed you had it in you."

Logan smiled back at the man who was quickly becoming his friend.

"Thanks Carlos. I'll see you on Monday."

"Oh just so you know, my name isn't Carlos." the other man answered. "Thats just what Mrs. Gilmore calls me. It's really John."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Logan asked, feeling foolish.

"I didn't even know if you would stick around, so I didn't want to confuse you. She never did get my name right."

"Well sorry for calling you Carlos all this time."

John nodded and turned away.

Logan hopped into the car, regretting how dirty he was and promising himself to clean out Rory's car when he got the chance.

When he got home he found Rory sitting at the table writing a paper.

"Hey!" he said with a smile.

Rory looked up, admiring his body in those clothes. The dirt only added to the look.

"You seem happy." she said.

"Yeah, well I got the next three days off. And Carlos, whose real name is John, gave me some extra cash. He said I was doing a good job."

"Logan I'm really glad that things are going better for you, but I really hate that you have to work there."

"It's okay. I mean sure it isn't where I thought I would be right now, but it's not a bad place to be. I don't care what happened with my family, I'm not going to lose my dreams Rory. Now I just have to start the same place as everyone else, thats all."

Rory smiled and was about to hug him but refrained. "I'll hug you after you change so we can save on laundry money." she said.

He smiled, leaned in for a careful kiss and then went to the bathroom to shower.


	14. Chapter 14

While Logan was in the shower Rory got an idea and called up her mom.

"Hey mom."

"Hey Rory, what's going on?"

"Not too much. I called grandma earlier to ask her if Logan could come with me to Friday night dinner."

"Oh oh let me guess how that went!" Lorelai exclaimed. Then she continued in her best shocked Emily voice. "Rory, really! Having dinner with the servants! Unthinkable. What's next, eating with our fingers?"

Rory laughed. "It was actually pretty similar. But Logan has this weekend off for the first time in a couple weeks so I was wondering if after I go to dinner we could drive out to Stars Hollow and spend the weekend at the inn? Do you have an extra room?"

"Let me ask Michel. Give me a minute."

"Okay."

There was a considerable pause but Rory wasn't surprised knowing Michel.

Finally the phone picked up again.

"Rory?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah?"

"You got your room. Do you have to bring Logan?"

"Of course. But trust me he has changed. He grew up a lot in the last few weeks and we both want to see you. So give him a chance, okay?"

"I'll try."

"Try harder."

"Fine, see you tonight."

"See you."

Rory hung up the phone and waited to tell Logan about their mini vacation.

Logan finally came out of the shower in fresh clothes, drying his hair. "I wish Paris wouldn't hang her undergarments in the bathroom." he commented.

"Yeah, we are in really close quarters here." Rory agreed. "So guess what?"

"My dad called and wants me back?" Logan asked.

"No silly. My mom said there is an extra room at the inn this weekend that we can have. Wouldn't it be nice to get away and have some space to ourselves?"  
"Yeah, that sounds great, but doesn't your mom hate me?"

"Hate is such a strong word. A strong, but accurate word." Logan whacked at her with a pillow. "No in all reality she doesn't exactly like you but she is willing to give you a chance."

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"As soon as I get back from Friday night dinner."

"Sounds great." Logan collapsed on the couch, glad to rest after such a long day. "Hurry back."

"I will." Rory went into the bedroom and came out transformed from a tired college student to a beautiful socialite.

"You look great." Logan said kissing her hand.

Rory smiled. "Okay you, no matter how many nice things you tell me I can't stay."

"Fine, get out of here." Logan said, shoving her lightly out the door. "And be careful on your way out of here, I don't trust this place."

"I will be. I'll see you tonight."

Logan nodded and shut the door behind her, then turned on the tv and was soon asleep.

Rory got back a couple hours later and lightly woke him up.

"Hey sleepy. Want to get going? We can stay at the inn tonight and tomorrow night and then drive back on Sunday. How does that sound?"

"Will you be there?" Logan asked sleepily.

"Of course."

"Then it sounds perfect." he replied.

They quickly packed a few things and got into the car, excited about the weekend ahead of them. Neither of them had had a break in a while and they both needed time away from the tiny apartment.


	15. Chapter 15

They got to the inn in a great mood. Logan was tired but glad to be off work. He was worried about seeing Lorelai but if he could convince Rory's grandparents to give him a job he probably had nothing to worry about.

Rory was excited to see her mom. It had been a long time since they had been together in person although they still talked on the phone all the time.

Lorelai met them as they pulled up to the inn.

She came to Logan's side of the car. "Rory!" she squealed. "I haven't seen you in so long, my you have changed."

"Very funny mom." Rory said, getting out of the car and giving her mom a hug.

"You two should get settled in right away. I just stayed to wait for you but then I have to get home. I told Luke I would be home 2 hours ago, so theres a good chance he is having an embolism around now."

Rory laughed. "Okay, go. But will you be here tomorrow?"

"Want to meet for lunch and then I'll leave the two of you alone?"

"Perfect. Say hi to Luke for me."

"I will."

The two hugged again and Lorelai pressed the room key into Rory's hand before scampering off to her car.

Then Rory grabbed Logan's arm and dragged him into the inn excitedly.

They went into the room and collapsed on the bed, too tired to do anything but just relax and watch tv. There would be time for other things later but for now they were both enjoying their hard earned rest.

"So your mom completely ignored me." Logan finally said.

"I'm sure she will warm up to you, especially if we all have lunch together tomorrow."

"I hope so. I'm dying of hypothermia."

"Lets forget her until tomorrow and just focus on having fun and relaxing." Rory suggested.

Logan nodded and leaned in for a kiss.

When they were exhausted and relaxed, tangled in the sheets Rory's mind turned to food.

"I'm going to sneak down to the kitchen and see if Sookie left anything for us. She always has something special for me when I visit."

"I'll go with." Logan suggested, wanting to see the inn.

They both threw on their robes and headed downstairs. Thankfully it was quiet and all the other guests were asleep or at least in their rooms.

Sure enough, in the kitchen the night staff handed Rory a bag of food with her name on it. She smiled.

"All we have to do is warm it up."

They heated the food and took it to their room to eat.

"Logan I know its a strange time to ask this, but we never get much alone time anymore. Are you doing okay now? I mean be completely honest, how are you feeling?"

"About what?" he asked evasively.

"About everything. Your family, your job, us."

"Well it isn't what I thought it would be, but things are okay. Once I got used to the idea that my life wasn't going to be anything like I thought things got better. I mean its really embarrassing to be working for your grandparents, but at least I don't really see anyone I know, and screw my family, they were a bunch of jerks. I have a job right now so at least I can help to support us, and Rory I don't care as long as I'm with you. Really, I'm being serious, I thought all of that stuff mattered, but it doesn't. We have each other and we are happy with each other. I just hope that you aren't rethinking things now that I'm not the same person and I can't treat you the way I could before."

Rory nodded slowly. "I'm glad you feel that way. Of course I'm not rethinking things. Logan I liked you at first because you were different, and mysterious and fun. And you still are. I'm glad that you have taken so much responsibility for your life, besides the one ill-fated drinking episode. You've really matured lately and so have I and its a good thing. I wish you didn't have to work for my grandparents but I think that its the first step towards them accepting you just a little. I mean they have to know that by helping you they are helping us."

"Yeah, thats true. Well enough talk."

And with that Logan moved the food off the bed to make room for them.

* * *

**Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I would like. Things are really insane at work but I promise I'll keep updating regularly.**


	16. Chapter 16

They slept in very late the next day, so they woke up with just enough time to shower and dress before meeting Lorelai for lunch. In fact they had so little time that they had to shower together, which neither of them minded.

They stood together looking in the mirror before going downstairs.

"You ready?" asked Rory, knowing that Logan wasn't too excited about it and hoping that her mom would give him a chance.

Logan nodded and without another word they went downstairs.

Rory immediately spotted the table reserved for them by the two large coffee pots on it. As she approached she also saw that there was a reserved sign on it, but Lorelai was not around.

"You sit down and I'll look for my mom." she suggested.

Logan sat down nervously. He knew that this time it was important to make a good impression on Lorelai because his future with Rory was important to him.

Rory finally spotted her mom behind the front desk, pestering Michel.

Lorelai looked up and smiled. "Morning kid. Ready for lunch."

"Always." Rory said. "But mom go easy on Logan, okay."

"I will. I'll be so charming he'll forget I'm your mother."

Rory smiled. "Okay then, lets go." They turned to leave. "Good morning Michel." she called over her shoulder.

"Go away." he snapped.

"What's his problem?" she said Lorelai quietly as they were entering the dining room.

"Someone rearranged his post-its again." Lorelai explained.

Rory nodded understandingly.

Logan stood up as they approached the table. "Good morning." he said.

"Good morning Logan." Lorelai said. They all sat down.

Just then Sookie entered the room. "Rory!" she squealed. Rory stood up to give her a hug. "Did you get the food I left for you?"

"Yes I did, thank you so much."

"I wanted to stay and make you something fresh but Jackson was watching the kids and I didn't want to abandon him. Oh you must be Logan." She said, suddenly turning to face him.

"And you are Sookie. I've heard a lot about you." he said with an easy smile.

"You haven't lived until you've tried my food. Go ahead, order anything you want. Challenge me." she demanded, excited to introduce someone new to her cooking.

"I actually tried it last night, and if it was any indication." Logan began.

"That was reheated leftovers." Sookie dismissed it, but still looked pleased at the compliment.

They ordered food and Sookie scurried off to prepare it.

Rory was surprised at how comfortable it was. There was no tension between her mom and Logan and they were all able to joke around and chat without feeling too self conscious. Rory knew that her mom knew about Logan gardening for the Gilmores but she didn't mention it or even allude to it, so the whole thing went very well. And when she didn't have to worry about defending Logan she had a great time hanging out with both of them.

Finally when the meal was done Logan went upstairs by himself to give Rory some extra time with her mom.

Rory was grateful because she had been meaning to talk with her mom about something.

"Mom, I wanted to run something by you. Please hear me out before you get mad or anything like that."

Lorelai could tell that this was serious. She didn't say anything, just nodded and prepared to listen.

"Well you know that Logan isn't in school anymore and even though he is working we are still having a lot of trouble paying for things. And its driving us crazy living with Paris and Doyle. The place just isn't big enough for four people. So, I was thinking about leaving school again, temporarily only, to work until we are on our feet again."

"No." Said Lorelai immediately. "Rory you can't leave school. You already tried that and you hated it. If you leave now you will never go back. It's not going to get any easier to afford, and you are so close to graduating. Please don't give up on school again. I know Logan is important to you, I get that, and I'm also starting to get why you like him, but you can't give up school for him."

"Mom I get what you are saying and school is important to me. I do have direction and I know what I want to do, I just don't know if I can do it right now. I really want to be with Logan and if that means putting school aside temporarily I'm willing to do that. I mean, Yale will always be there. And maybe then Logan could go back to school with me."

"Rory your best chance of getting a good job is to stay in school and graduate. I'm going to support you no matter what you choose but please don't drop out of school. Especially because as much as you love him and want it to work you don't know if it will, or if he will stick around."

"Yeah... I guess I'll talk more about it to you later."

Lorelai nodded, knowing it was the best she could hope for now. And she didn't want to alienate her daughter again.

"Is there something else going on?" Lorelai finally asked.

"No. Not really. I mean its probably nothing. I'm just not sure how we are going to make it together on just his small income." Rory said, somewhat unconvincingly.

"Okay well you know I'm always here for you." Lorelai assured her.

Rory gave her mom a hug and then went upstairs to be with Logan.

They spent the next few hours together, around the inn and going outside for a while to explore the entire place.

When Rory went up to the room for a quick nap Lorelai pulled Logan aside.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

Logan nodded and they sat down.


	17. Chapter 17

Lorelai started talking right away. "Okay I know we didn't really get along in the past and we didn't meet under the best circumstances but I wanted you to know that I think you are a great guy and I'm glad you are with Rory." She continued before Logan could thank her. "But I'm still worried about you two. I know things can't be easy on your end, and they certainly aren't for Rory either. There is a lot of extra strain on you. Rory mentioned something about looking for another place to live, and she also mentioned dropping out of school again."

"What?" said Logan, surprised.

"You can't let her quit school Logan. I know you guys need money but if you care for Rory at all please make sure that she stays in school."

"Believe me, this is the first I've heard of it, and there is no way I'm letting her quit school. She is finally back on track and I'm not going to let the chaos in my life interrupt hers. You don't have to worry about that, there are other options and we will find them." Logan looked so genuine that Lorelai had to believe him. He must not have known anything about Rory quitting school and he certainly hadn't asked her to. She felt better knowing that Logan was on her side.

"Well good then. I know she is a very responsible person and wants to help out, but she is so close to graduating and she really needs to focus on that."

"I agree, we are going to make things work some other way." Logan said.

Lorelai smiled at him. "I'm glad you two came here this weekend. I really wanted to get to know you, and like you, and I feel like I've done both now."

As they stood up Lorelai suddenly reached into her pocket and pulled something out. She pressed a wad of money into Logan's hand. "Take this. You can tell Rory or not, I don't care, but if you really need to move somewhere else use this money."

Logan resisted the impulse to hug her. "Thank you so much. I'll pay you back, but we can definitely use the money right now."

"Don't worry about paying me back. It's fine." Lorelai assured him. "You are practically part of the family now."

They shook hands and then Logan went upstairs to wake up Rory. He decided not to tell her where the money came from because he didn't want to cause her any more stress than she already had. He put it in his pocket for now, deciding to wait until his next day of work. He could always say that he got a tip or a bonus or something.

He sat carefully by the side of the bed, hesitating to wake her up. Finally he gently shook her shoulder. "Hey Ace, wake up."

She groaned a little and shooed him away. But finally she sat up sleepily. "Fine fine, I'm up."

"You can't sleep all day, we've got lots to do." Logan nudged her again, trying to roll her out of the bed.

Rory laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him down on top of her.

They continued to struggle, laughing, until their lips met and they both gave in to the other.

Half an hour later they were dressed and preparing to walk around Stars Hollow. Rory was apprehensive because she loved the town and didn't want Logan to mock it, no matter how mockable it was. She knew everyone in town would want to stare at him or do something eccentric, so she had been putting off showing him the town. But now it was time. They were right here with nothing better to do and Logan had heard so much talk about the town that he wanted to see it.

'Here goes.' she thought, looking over at Logan.

He looked good. He still looked like a Yale student, but strong and muscular and tan. He smirked back at her, enjoying how uncomfortable she was about showing him the town. And about showing him to the town.

They went downstairs, passing Lorelai on the way. "Where are you crazy kids off to?" she asked.

"I'm showing Logan around Stars Hollow." Rory explained.

"Oh well have fun." Lorelai said with a mischievous smile. "I know that Miss Patty can't wait to meet him."

"Oh well thats something to look forward to." Rory said with a half serious sigh.

"Who is Miss Patty?" Logan asked.

Lorelai laughed. "Trust me, you'll find out."

"Just stick very close to me. Don't wander off, don't talk to strangers, don't make eye contact, and don't feed Kirk." Rory said.

"Okay I'm confused." said Logan. They were making it sound like some sort of zoo.

"It only gets worse." laughed Rory as she led him out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Logan noticed that everyone stared at him as they walked through town.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because you are my boyfriend."Rory answered. "You are now town news, you will soon be town gossip, and after that town speculation."

"Oh. Well I guess I can handle that." Logan looked around uneasily, feeling stalked. He could see that Rory was enjoying his discomfort, but she was also nervous about so many people staring at them.

"Rory!" A voice sounded. "Who is the dish?"

"And thats Miss Patty." Rory said quietly to Logan.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Miss Patty said, approaching them.

"Miss Patty this is Logan, Logan this is Miss Patty." Rory said.

"Cute. A little young, but cute." Said Miss Patty approvingly.

She touched Logan's arm.

"Uh, we have to go!" Rory exclaimed.

They hurried off.

"That was Miss Patty?"

"Yeah, she's actually very nice, and a staple in this town. But you were in some danger of becoming her next husband." Rory laughed at Logan's dismay.

They walked further as Rory explained all the landmarks of the town, careful to leave out all of her embarrassing childhood memories.

"Here is Andrew's bookstore, and here is Kim's antiques. My best friend Lane's parents owns it. You will probably meet her later. She lives with her band. And then here is.."

Logan listened to the steady stream of chatter as Rory introduced him to every aspect of the town. He could tell that she really loved the place and he could almost see why. As nutty as the place was, it had a lot of charm to it.

They finally passed Doose's Market, where Rory rushed Logan past.

"Hey what's there? What don't you want me to see?" he asked.

"Well remember how I had a boyfriend when we met?"

"Yeah." Logan answered, seeing where this was going.

"He works there." Rory finished. "We haven't really talked in a while, pretty much since we broke up, so I just thought it would be really awkward if we ran into each other."

This put a slight damper on their moods but they soon revived as they walked into Luke's.

"Hi Luke." Rory said cheerily.

"Hey Rory! Your mom mentioned that you were going to be in town this weekend."

"Yeah, I'm here with Logan." she said, nudging Logan forward. "Logan this is Luke, who is going to be my stepfather, and Luke this is my boyfriend Logan." Her eyes begged Luke not to mention anything to Logan about the money she had borrowed from him. Logan felt bad enough as it was without being reminded of it. Luke understood the look and gave her a slight nod. Despite his misgivings about the kid, he stretched out his hand.  
"Nice to meet you Logan."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Danes." Logan said with impeccable politeness. He had heard about Luke enough times to know his last name and wanted to make a good impression on someone who was and would be a big part of Rory's life.

They talked for a few brief minutes and then Rory and Logan sat down at a table and ordered some burgers and fries.

Then as they were eating Lane walked in.

"Lane!" exclaimed Rory, standing up to hug her. "I was going to go and visit you."

"Oh well I'm working later so I thought I would come in a little early and get something to eat." said Lane, not noticing Logan at first.

"Well good timing. Lane I want you to meet Logan. And Logan of course this is my best friend Lane."

They shook hands and then Lane sat down with them at the table, sharing Rory's fries.

Lane didn't want to be rude, but she hadn't yet heard that Rory and Logan were back together, so she leaned in and whispered "Logan is back?"

Rory nodded.

"What?" asked Logan, with the distinct feeling that they were talking about him.

"Oh nothing, she just didn't know we were back together."

Logan looked hurt. "It's been a couple weeks." he said.

"Yeah, I know but we hadn't talked in that time." Rory explained. She had been avoiding telling Lane until she knew that Logan would stick around this time.

"Well what are you two doing today?" Lane asked to break the tension.

"I was showing him around the town. We were just going to stop by my house after the burger."

"How do you like Stars Hollow?" Lane asked, turning to Logan.

"It's different." Logan said, but he did like it.

They both smiled. He hadn't seen half of it yet.

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Kirk walked in. He paced a little, looking indecisive.

Finally he approached Rory.

"Rory I need to tell you something."

"Kirk, what's wrong?" Rory asked, concerned.

"Well you remember when you broke up with Dean and I told you that I had a bad feeling about him and his floppy hair, and I also said that I would tell you again if I had a bad feeling?"

"Yes..." Rory said hesitantly.

"Well I saw you with this guy and I wasn't sure if I should say anything to you, but I think I have to. I'm not sure if it is a bad feeling or if it was something I ate at Al's but I felt that it was my duty to warn you."

"That you are feeling something?" Rory asked.

"Yes." Kirk replied.

"Thank you, Kirk. I'll keep that in mind." Rory said, not sure what else to say.

Kirk gave her a slight smile. Then he turned to Logan. "It is really great to meet you." he said, and then sat down at the counter.

"Okay..." said Logan, completely bewildered. "What was all that about?"

"Oh that was just Kirk." Rory explained. She looked at Lane and they both tried to suppress their laughter, not wanting to hurt Kirk's feelings. Finally they managed to keep a straight face and Lane went back to start working.

Rory rushed Logan out of there before laughing.

"Mind explaining Ace?" Logan asked.

"Oh nothing. Kirk is just like that."

"And Dean is?" Logan asked.

"The ex. We broke up a couple times and he said that to me the first time we broke up, back when I was 16."

"So he was warning you about me?" said Logan.

"No I'm pretty sure it was Al's food." said Rory.

"Okay now who is Al?" Logan said, feeling more and more confused.

"The proprietor of Al's Pancake World." explained Rory.

"The fine dining establishment of Stars Hollow?" asked Logan jokingly.

"Well he used to make pancakes but now he focuses on international cuisine, although not very well."

"This place is crazy." said Logan, draping his arm over Rory's shoulders.

Then they walked down the road, towards the beloved old house.


	19. Chapter 19

By the time Logan and Rory got back to the inn they had seen most of the town and met most of the people. They had successfully avoided both Taylor and Dean however, which Rory was grateful for. She didn't want to face Dean, especially because now she was here with one of the guys who had helped to break them up.

Back at the inn they popped in the movies they had rented and talked and ate the food that Sookie kept sending up to them.

Rory laid back in Logan's arms, looking up at him. "This has been a really perfect weekend." she murmured softly.

Logan nodded slightly in agreement. "I wish things could always be like this." he said, equally softly, giving her a light kiss. "Your mom is pretty cool."

Rory smiled. "That she is." she agreed.

"Rory I want to move out of the place we share with Paris." Logan said suddenly.

"Huh?" Rory said, surprised at him for bringing up something like that now.

"Its driving us crazy living with her. And we are doing okay. I mean we could probably find a place like a one bedroom or a studio where we can afford to live. Just consider it okay?" Logan insisted.

"Trust me, I don't want to live there either. But I worry about money. I mean you are working your butt off and here I am just attending Yale and not contributing. I can't ask you to spend more money unless I help out too. I'm sure I could find a job."

"You aren't leaving Yale. I can't let you."

"I wasn't really sure if I was going to be leaving Yale, just that I should find some way to make money."

"Well don't worry about that. I'm making okay money and I haven't lost my job yet, so I should be fine. John likes me, I think."

"John?" Rory asked, confused.

"Carlos." responded Logan.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Rory said absently. "Do you really think it will be okay? That we can afford it?"

"Yeah we will be fine. Rory we might even save money if we get a really small place. I want to live with you, and with just you. No Paris, no Doyle, no crazy scary Paris Doyle sex that will probably end up creating some crazy scary Paris Doyle hybrid someday."

Rory chuckled a little. "You do make a good point. Alright, lets look."

"We can drive back tomorrow morning a little early and start looking." Logan said, excited to get started on their new lives together.

Rory nodded, snuggling into Logan a little. "I hope everything works out." she whispered. She couldn't shake her worry, the strange feeling that something was wrong with her, and that somewhere inside she knew what was wrong.

Rory woke up a few hours later, cramped and cold. They had fallen asleep cuddled together, watching a movie.

Rory stretched a little and slipped out of the bed, tucking Logan in. She had to know, to find out if what she thought was right.

She crept downstairs, to her car and drove to her mom's house. She knew that Lorelai was at Luke's that night, and that the house was empty. Sneaking inside she went upstairs to her mom's bathroom, opened the cabinet under the sink and peered inside. Finally she spotted it, the small box from which she withdrew a pregnancy test. Taking a deep breath she tried to focus on the directions, to make sure that she was doing this right.

A few minutes later Rory turned back to the stick, daring herself to glance at it. She was almost sure what it would show her. It had only been a few short weeks but the changes were enough to make Rory suspicious. Very very suspicious. So it was no surprise when she looked at the stick and saw that yes, she was in fact pregnant.

It should have been the worst thing she could have seen, but somehow it wasn't. She was almost happy about it. Sure it was early, but she and Logan were together, and committed. If they could make it through everything else, surely they could have a baby too. But how to tell him?


	20. Chapter 20

Logan was still asleep when Rory slipped back into the room and into the bed. She looked over at him. 'He's exhausted.' she thought. 'He works so hard. How can I tell him about the baby? What if he doesn't feel the same way?'

Rory decided to wait. She wasn't even sure that she was pregnant. The test could be wrong. She had slipped an extra test into her purse. She would take it in another few days, and if that came up positive then she would tell him. No need to deal with it right now.

Having made this decision she turned and threw her arm across him, cuddling up against his back and finally fell asleep.

The next day they did leave early, eager to look for their own place. It was even more important now to Rory knowing they had a baby on the way. She was strangely happy about it and couldn't contain her excitement, despite her anxieties. Her mood was infectious and they had a great time driving around, looking through newspapers and looking at places.

The mood was so good that it didn't even bother them that the only things they could afford were in the worst neighborhoods. But they weren't worried. They were too much in love for someone to hurt them. They felt impervious to everything.

They finally settled on a small place. It was a one bedroom apartment, barely. The bedroom was more like a closet but would just fit their bed and maybe a dresser. The outside looked bad but inside it was clean and cheerful. They felt optimistic about their choice. And most important, it was cheap, very very cheap.

They signed a lease and were told that they could move in in five days. That seemed like an eternity to wait.

"We have to go back and tell Paris that we are moving out." Rory said, giving Logan a hug. He hugged her back. "Yeah, right away. And then start packing."

"I do have lots of stuff... all my books." said Rory, realizing what a chore it would be to move.

"I don't have anything to pack, so that will make it easier." Logan said with his characteristic smile.

"True, true." said Rory.

"Lets go back to Paris's and tell her, just get it out there. Maybe she will be mad at you, pack all your stuff and put it outside for us." Logan joked.

"I don't think she will be mad. She and Doyle have been cramped too." Rory said. "But I agree, we should go. And I have to call my mom and tell her."

"You do that, I'll drive." said Logan, as they left the empty apartment and got into the car.

Logan barely listened to Rory on the phone, but could tell that she was excited by the constant stream of chatter. He hoped that her mom would feel the same way, or at least similar.

Looking over at the girl he saw that she looked happy too. She had a glow to her. She wasn't living the life that he had all but promised her, that he had been able to offer her before but that didn't seem to matter. And he was thankful that she wasn't the shallow girl that she had seemed to be for a while. When she had dropped out of Yale and partied with him non stop sure it had been great to see her, but a lot of what made her unique had been gone. It was good to see her so focused, so driven, and so into their relationship. And finally, he was starting to be on her wavelength as well.

Logan smirked to himself. He thought triumphantly about his father, and how his father was so sure that he was going to fail. Well how could he fail? He had Rory, and she was motivation enough for anyone. 'I'm not lazy and useless anymore.' He thought. 'I am working as a gardener, but I'm working, I'm doing. I used to think that those stunts I pulled were living, but I was wrong, _this_ is living.'

* * *

A week later Rory and Logan were pretty well set up in their new apartment. Paris, as expected, had been glad when they decided to move out, because although she and Rory were still good friends, the place was too small for four people.

They had been in the new place for a couple of nights, had done a lot of cleaning and had found a place for most things. There were boxes here and there but they had worked really hard to make the place nice. Logan still went to work at the Gilmore house every day, and Rory still went to school, so between that and moving the hadn't had much time together.

Rory had found enough time to take another pregnancy test and it said the same thing, she was definitely pregnant. She kept looking for the right time to tell Logan. Now that it was certain she really wanted to get it out there and see how he felt about it.

Finally the opportunity came up as they sat on the floor eating dinner and talking about the future. "We really need to get chairs, or some sort of couch." Logan said. "This feels like a picnic."

Rory laughed. "It does. And learning to cook wouldn't hurt either."

"I'm with you there, Ace." Logan agreed. Neither of them would have been able to identify the food if they hadn't just cooked it. "There are only a few things I can cook, and most of them involve pricey ingredients."

Rory nodded. She decided to just come out with it and finally tell him. "Hey Logan, I have something I have to tell you."

Logan looked up at her, trying to read the expression in her clear blue eyes.

"What?"

"Okay well I know the timing is horrible, but if you think about it its probably not that bad. I mean, we want one anyway, right? I mean some day. So why not now."

"What are you talking about?" said Logan, confused.

"Oh did I leave out, I'm pregnant." Rory said in a rush.

"What?" gasped Logan. He turned pale.

"I'm a few weeks pregnant and it must date back to around when we first got back together."

"How long have you known?" Logan's voice was choked with emotion.

"I've known for absolute certain for two days, but I had a suspicion for a little more than a week."

"Don't be offended, but considering everything that just happened with my family, are you sure its mine?" Logan asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Of course its yours, Logan. I wasn't with anyone else while we were broken up, and certainly not when we were together." Rory gave him a fond look. "You don't have to be worried about that."

Logan looked relieved.

"Well, it wasn't really in the plan, but... I think it could be really great." He finally said.

Rory squealed. "Really?!" she said, tackling him with a hug. "I was so worried you would be mad, or leave or something."

"Well we did want one eventually, right? And we can manage. We're going to have a baby!" he said, hardly believing how well he was taking it himself.

"Rory I wanted to tell you that I really appreciate the way you stood by me. I mean this sounds so stupid when I say it, but I didn't even know what relationships were about. And even if I wasn't so happy about the baby I would still be there for you because you taught me that thats what it means to be in a relationship. You know, to be there for someone else and with someone else, no matter what happens."

Logan blushed a little. It was rare for him to show so much emotion or to talk so openly and genuinely.

Rory's eyes misted over. "Its important for us to talk Logan. I've realized that communication has never been our strong point, but we are in this together, no matter what happens, you me and baby, so we really need to learn how to talk to each other."

Logan nodded and smiled at her.

Rory saw his look. "Oh no mister, get away from me with that look. Thats what got us in trouble in the first place."

"Hey it can't do any harm now." Logan protested.

"So true." said Rory as their lips met.


	21. Chapter 21

One day, a couple weeks later, Logan was just finishing up his work when he was approached by Emily Gilmore.

"Logan." she called to him.

Logan stood up, brushing some of the dirt off his pants.

"Would you like some extra work tomorrow night?" She asked. There wasn't any trace of hostility in her voice.

"Sure. What work?" Logan asked. He was always on the lookout to make some extra money, especially now that they were expecting a baby.

"Richard and I are having some friends over tomorrow and could use another server. You've been to enough of these things and you know how they work, so I'm sure you could do well."

Logan tried to read her, to see if this was yet another plan to humiliate him. But it didn't seem to be. In the weeks that he had worked here he had seen a couple small parties of Richard's business partners and had no reason to believe that this would be any different.

"What time do you want me?" he asked.

"When you finish up outside you can come in here to shower and change." Emily suggested.

Logan nodded. "Thanks."

"Say hi to Rory for me." Emily said as she turned and walked away.

The next night Logan took a quick shower in the Gilmore house and changed into an outfit that matched what the other servers would be wearing. He got a quick tutorial from one of the other servers on exactly what to do, when to bring out each dish, how to speak to people.

Logan was excited to get the extra cash, and Rory hadn't heard anything about it so the gathering would probably consist of people that Logan didn't even know. If it was Yale people surely Rory would have been invited.

He looked in the mirror, satisfied with how he looked. He gave his reflection a quick, confident smirk. If he could prove himself here maybe he could get advancement opportunities from gardening to something else. At least it could go on his resume.

He slipped downstairs into the kitchen and stood with the others, waiting for the guests to arrive. He chatted briefly with the other servers, reflecting that formerly these were people he never even would have spoken to, and now they were his colleagues.

Finally Emily came into the kitchen to give final instructions and let them know that the guests were starting to arrive. Logan grabbed his tray to begin circling as instructed. He balanced the tray perfectly and waited as the other servers walked out. He watched the clock until his turn came to leave the kitchen. And he walked out into a crowd of Yale alumni and their children. Sons mostly.

Logan stared bewildered at seeing a crowd of people who used to be his friends. He prayed that his confusion wouldn't show but knew that his cheeks were burning. He winced to himself to see the people staring at him, and heard a quiet murmur of laughter travel through the crowd. He spotted Robert, Colin and Finn, Rosemary, Juliet and a couple of girls he had dated.

He knew Emily had done this on purpose, and he had actually thought that she was reaching out to him, trying to be nice to him! He felt stupid, used and ashamed. How could he spend the evening serving these people? He knew they would be talking about him, probably already were, and laughing at him.

But Logan didn't turn around and retreat to the kitchen. He ignored his friends, held his head high and walked past them with his tray.

Colin bumped his shoulder a little, purposely.

"Excuse me sir, my friends and I are just dying for a drink." he said, mocking in his voice.

Logan gritted his teeth as he let them get a drink from the tray.

"Say, don't I know you from somewhere?" Finn piped in.

"Oh, a game, lets guess!" Juliet laughed.

"Were you by chance ever a janitor at Yale?" Colin asked.

Logan saw Emily looking at him, just waiting for him to snap back at them, waiting for an excuse to fire him altogether.

"No, sorry, I wasn't." He said, trying his hardest to be polite but secretly vowing to give him a swift kick after the party.

They continued to joke with him. Logan was hurt but hadn't expected much better. They had been his friends once but now he was in a different world. And apparently their egos depended on demeaning those in a lower station in life. He finally managed to get past them and move to another group with his tray. As he was leaving Robert took a parting shot.

"Hey Logan I love the outfit." he called.

Logan shook his head but managed with difficulty to stay polite. As soon as his tray was empty and he could escape to the kitchen for a refill he called Rory.

He didn't want to whine to her, but he did tell her what happened. "That grandmother of yours is something else." he remarked. "I give her points for persistence and invention. I didn't see that one coming."

"I hate that they treat you like that." Rory said. "I wish I was there."

"I wouldn't want you here. And it might not even help. If they say something to you I don't know if I'll be able to hold myself back." Logan said.

"Oh don't worry about that, I can take care of myself." said Rory.

"I would hate for you to see me like this."

"Hey you should be proud of yourself Logan. I'm not at all embarrassed by what you do for a living. Let them say what they want."

"I gotta go. I have to get back out there." Logan said, seeing his tray full and waiting.

"Okay, I'll see you in a few hours."

Logan hung up the phone, took a deep breath, picked up the tray and went back out there knowing that it was going to be a very long night.


	22. Chapter 22

Logan had come home that night doubly exhausted and discouraged. Rory knew that as much as he didn't want to let his former friends get to him, they had. She hated them for it.

As she got ready for school the next day she almost hoped that she would run into them, to tell them exactly what she thought of them.

Rory looked in the mirror and smiled. Even at almost two months pregnant she didn't really show at all, which was good because aside from Logan and her mom she hadn't told anybody about it yet.

Her mom had taken the news surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. She felt better knowing that Rory was so happy about it.

When Rory got to Yale she did in fact run into a group of people that used to be Logan's friends. They used to be her friends too. They still wanted to be her friend, and all of the boys who had admired her before now considered her fair game because Logan was poor.

"Rory, so glad to see you, love." Said Finn, coming up and standing next to her.

Rory grimaced to herself. She hated them for talking to Logan like they had.

"Hi." she said, pushing past them.

"Rory, don't be so cruel!" one of the boys called.

"Whats wrong with you guys? Logan was your friend!" she said turning around, too angry not to confront them.

"Rory we think it's great that Logan has found such meaningful employment." said Colin.

"Really, we are very happy for him." said Robert. "We were just complimenting him on the outfit. Very spiffy."

"Oh really." said Rory, sarcastically. "You shouldn't have treated him like that." she scolded them.

"He's a servant, isn't he?" Colin asked, surprised. "How am I supposed to treat him. He was there to serve, I was there at the party to be served. Therefore it makes perfect sense when I ask to be served by the person who is there to serve me."

"This is some big joke to you, like you think its funny." Rory spat out. "Well think about this, Logan is doing something with his life now, he can be anything he wants now, and anybody. Your greatest ambition is to do as little as possible. You will always be little boys, spiteful pampered lazy boys. Look at Mitchum Huntzberger! He reacted like a child when he found out that things didn't go exactly his way. Well thats what you have to look forward to. And Logan had the courage to do his job in spite of you and everything you could say to him, and thats why he will always be better than you. Come see me in 10 years and tell me if you are happy. If all your money has made you fulfilled. If you like your job, if you find someone who wants to be with you for you, if you ever have a meaningful relationship. And also look out for who you become friends with, because if you are ever down on your luck, don't count on the people around you to ever be there for you or help you out."

Before the group could say anything else Rory walked off.

Rory went to class and sat down, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't believe the way she had just gone off on the group but was glad she had done it. And all of it was true, too. Their lives were pathetic. To them there was nothing more than drinking and partying and sleeping around. Real substance meant nothing to them.

She couldn't believe that she had ever been like them, or enjoyed spending time with them. Logan was different, not because of what had happened to his family but because he had more depth as a person. It just took the situation to bring it out in him.

She finally put these thoughts out of her mind so she could focus on her classes.

* * *

Back at the apartment that night she was sitting next to Logan on the couch. They were watching a movie but hadn't been paying much attention to it. Rory broke the kiss and said quietly "Logan what do you want? Have you thought about it at all. I mean you could do anything, so what do you want?"

"I want to be your mom." he responded promptly.

Rory laughed. "Well that would be a little weird."

"No I mean seeing her and Luke in your town gave me a new perspective on success. They both took something they loved and worked towards it and now they run their own lives. They aren't that rich but they are comfortable. They don't have anyone telling them where they have to be every day and how they have to act. They dictate their own lives and live on their own terms. Thats what I want."

"What about working at a newspaper? You are a great writer." Rory suggested.

"I could give a damn about newspapers. Thats not what I ever wanted, its what Mitchum wanted for me. Thats your dream Ace, you go for it."

"I just want you to find where you belong." Rory said softly, giving him a quick kiss.

"I will. I mean I guess it wasn't great timing, and I do miss the money but I don't miss having my entire future planned out for me and decided pretty much before I was even born. I didn't like having to try to live up to exactly what they wanted of me and do everything on their timetable. I'm sure if you look at Mitchum's daily planner from years ago it will have exactly what day I was planned to be toilet trained, when I was supposed to learn to ride a bike, when my first tooth was going to fall out."

Rory laughed. "It can't have been that bad."

"Oh it was. There was an endless litany of things that I failed to live up to. So I don't regret not having that pressure."

"Do you miss your friends?" Rory asked. She wondered if she should tell Logan about her talk with them.

He thought for a minute. "No. They never cared about me and I never cared about them. We were all the same, thats all." These didn't ring quite true though. Rory could tell that despite his words Logan did miss their companionship.

"I'm glad. They are jerks. I can't believe they would just ditch you like that."

"They didn't right away. I mean they helped me at first. I think it was fun for them but that wore off. And by the time I saw them again things had changed so much that they couldn't even relate to me anymore."

"Yeah.. I can't believe you are taking everything so well." Rory said thoughtfully.

"Like getting in a fist fight with my father?" Logan said, smirking.

"Well that wasn't a stunning example, but you wouldn't believe how much you have changed."

Logan, to avoid the direction the conversation was taking wrapped his arms around Rory and pressed his lips to hers.


	23. Chapter 23

The next day Logan got off work early so he decided to stop by Yale and pick up Rory after her class instead of her having to take the bus. He sat outside her class, waiting for it to let out but 40 minutes still remained.

Logan was content to just sit in the sun, relaxing after a long day. Suddenly a shadow fell across him.

"Logan?" a somewhat awkward voice said.

Logan opened his eyes and saw Marty standing in front of him.

"Hey Marty." he said, extending his hand. There was no trace of arrogance or condescension in his voice now.

"I haven't seen you or Rory around lately." said Marty. He didn't add that he had heard what had happened, but Logan knew that he had.

"Yeah we have been living off campus. How have you been?" Logan tried to be friendly even though he knew that Marty had always had feelings for Rory. It wasn't Marty's fault that she was amazing.

"I've been okay. Um I don't want to offend you, but I have a bartending gig this afternoon and I could use the help if you are free."

Logan was embarrassed. Was it that obvious that he needed money? But then he remembered that Marty had never liked him and was offering to do him a favor so he accepted. He didn't even bother to ask if he would have to work for his old friends. It didn't matter, he was going to make some money.

Silently regretting that he couldn't give Rory a ride home he graciously accepted Marty's offer. "I'd love to help out." he said. "What do you need me to do?"

Rory found a message on her cell phone when she got out of class. It was Logan, telling her that he had an afternoon job bartending with Marty. Rory smiled. She had always hoped that they would be friends so that she could hang out with them without it being awkward.

She got on the bus and got back to the neighborhood where she and Logan lived. It was only a three block trek back to the apartment.

Rory clutched her books as she walked down the street. It was a Tuesday, the day when she had a late class, and walking back as the sun set always made her uncomfortable. It was getting dim, and in this light she always noticed how bad the neighborhood was.

As she walked she noticed that there was a quick step behind her. She had been so caught up in her thoughts but realized that it had been behind her for at least a block. She hesitated to turn around, but finally snuck a glance, and regretted it as she saw a figure in a hooded sweatshirt, the hood pulled up. She walked faster, but the person was still gaining on her. She felt ridiculous for being suspicious, she was a poor college student after all, but couldn't help feeling a hint of panic. She gripped the umbrella that she always carried with her, more for defense than for some weather emergency.

And then suddenly the man approached her, touched her shoulder.

She jumped a little.

"Hey I was just going to walk you home lady." The man said.

Rory didn't ease up on her grip, and she unconsciously wielded it a little. "I'm fine." she said tightly. "But thank you."

The man persisted. "It isn't safe here." he said.

"I'm almost home." she said, then regretted telling him the area in which she lived.

Finally when it seemed like the man was going to relent and leave her alone he glanced around quickly, and seeing that the street was nearly empty he grabbed the umbrella, wrenching it out of her hands as he shoved her over. Her heavy bag made her lose her balance and she toppled over, putting up her hands to defend herself from his blows. He clubbed her on the side of the head with the umbrella as he snatched at her purse, and then she felt the strap give way and it was torn from her. She struggled to grab it back, more angry than afraid. They needed the cash inside.

As she scrambled to her feet he swung the umbrella one more time, catching her across the stomach. Winded, Rory collapsed, grasping her middle, sucking in air and struggled to breath. She tried hard not to cry as the man disappeared down the street, with her purse, her cell phone, apartment keys and umbrella.

Rory struggled to her feet. There was no one around and all she could think about was getting to a safe place, where she could sit and not have to worry. She picked herself up, grabbed her books and ran down the street as well as she could, still holding her side where the sharpest blow had landed. She made it to the building and collapsed in front of the apartment door, huddled into the doorway, waiting for Logan to get home and let her in. She had no keys, and no phone. She also had no change and didn't trust anyone enough to venture back on the street and ask for some.

When Logan got home he found Rory, there in the doorway. He could tell instantly that something was wrong.

"Rory, what happened?" he asked, rushing to help her up. He forgot his enthusiasm about the great afternoon he had spent with Marty.

Rory suddenly burst into tears unable to hold it in anymore as Logan unlocked the door and led her into the apartment.

"I was walking from the bus when someone followed me and grabbed my umbrella and took my purse and keys and phone and everything." she sobbed. She knew there was little hope that she would ever see any of those items again.

She gingerly touched the side of her face where a bruise was forming.  
"Forget the stuff, are you okay?" Logan asked quietly, concerned and angry.

"I think so." said Rory, not wanting to worry Logan. There was pain all over her side and stomach, and bruises on her back where she had fallen on the pavement.

Logan just held her, wanting so much to be able to do something but knowing that there was nothing that he could do.

That night the bleeding started.


	24. Chapter 24

It had been three weeks since they had lost the baby and Rory still tried to pretend that nothing had happened. She refused to talk about it, just quietly put away all of the books she had gotten, the one tiny outfit she had already allowed herself to buy.

Logan had tried his best to comfort her but she kept insisting that she was fine. He told her that they would have another one, when they were ready and could support it. She nodded but seemed not to have even heard him.

She continued with school as before, with a dogged persistence but she withdrew from Logan and nothing he could say or do could make her connect with him. He felt like they were strangers. Of course she didn't blame him, she just pulled away from everyone. She had even fought with her mom and wasn't talking with her now.

Logan tried over and over to elicit some response, some hint of the love she had for him but it was like nothing was there. She seemed to be an emotional blank. And the most frustrating thing was that she refused to acknowledge that they had a problem. She kept insisting that things were no different than before, that nothing had changed between them at all. It was impossible to reach her if she refused to admit there was a problem, if she refused to confront her emotions. She had never cried about the baby, she never said anything about it at all.

Logan had cried. He hadn't realized how much he had been looking forward to being a father. How he had an overwhelming amount of information on what not to do with a child. He could have written a manual on that topic. He wanted a chance to correct everything that had been wrong in his childhood, and make his own child feel so loved no matter how many times it screwed up. And Rory would have made a great mother.

He had mourned the child that had barely existed but felt better afterwards. He had accepted what had happened, and had been so worried about Rory that the baby had seemed less major. He still burned with anger at the thought of the man who had robbed Rory and wished that he had been there with her. And there was some guilt as well, because if he hadn't taken the job with Marty he would have been there to drive Rory home from school that day and she would have been safe.

But as much as those things bothered him, he was more bothered by how Rory was obviously pushing him away. She talked to him still but there was no emotion behind it. She put no passion in her kisses, when she even remembered to kiss him now. Whenever he tried to talk to her she was suddenly busy, or tired, or wanted to watch a movie.

It got worse and worse. As Logan got better and was able to move on with his life Rory seemed to be more and more stuck. She was doing fine in school, she was home when she was supposed to be but she wasn't ever really there with him.

So it really was almost no surprise to him when he woke up one morning and found her gone. There was a note on the table for him that read:

"Logan, I'm sorry but I had to go back to Stars Hollow. This isn't the life I want, and I just can't stay here with you. Please try to understand and don't come after me." It was signed simply Rory. No 'Love, Rory' or 'I love you, Rory' like she usually left.

Logan pushed back tears. He had felt for weeks that he was losing her and couldn't do anything about it and this was just the final step. He felt overwhelming frustration at how he had seen it coming, how it had almost seemed inevitable and nothing that he could say or do had made any impact on her at all.

Logan kept staring at the note, reading it over and over. Rory had been the one thing in his life that was still worth anything. She was the only thing that made it good, the one thing to look forward to at the end of a long day of work. She had been the reason he gotten a job and worked so hard, gotten this apartment, tried to stay out of trouble. And now she was gone. Logan knew that she meant it when she said not to come after him. It would only make it worse if he followed her and tried to talk with her.

There was nothing for him to do but go to work and hope that she would change her mind and come back. And talk to him, really talk to him again. But once he got to work he knew that probably wasn't going to happen.

That afternoon Emily came outside and fired him.


	25. Chapter 25

Rory spent most of the week in bed at home, when she wasn't at school. She had come home suddenly but of course her mom had taken her in without asking any questions. And let the town talk, they had no idea what she had been going through.

She still went to school every day, braving the traffic and the chance of running into Logan but he stayed away.

Rory knew her mom wanted to ask questions but all she wanted to do was get away from that apartment, that neighborhood, and from Logan. He hadn't done anything horrible, but Rory just didn't love him anymore and couldn't stand living with him. Maybe she never really loved him at all.

After a week of mostly sleeping and school Rory started to get back to her normal life in Stars Hollow, as if she had never left. She went to Luke's to eat, she watched movies with her mom, she hung out with Lane and the band. She never talked about why she had left, why she wasn't with Logan anymore but no one pushed her about it or made her talk before she was ready.

She was glad she never saw Logan at her grandparents when she went for dinner. She didn't even know if he was still working there or if he quit to avoid her. But either way, it was good because it would be too painful to see him face to face, to have to tell him that she didn't love him, couldn't love him. He would say it was because of the baby, but it wasn't, it was just how she felt.

Rory gulped coffee from a Yale coffee cart and sat in class stoically. She didn't participate as much as before, probably because she was always so tired. 'Must be senioritis' she thought. And she was so close to graduation, her grades were so good that it didn't even matter anyway.

When she got home that night her mom was there, trying to talk. "Rory I've kept my mouth shut for the past two weeks but I have to ask, why are you here? What happened with Logan? Whatever it was I want to help you."

Rory glared at her mother. "It just didn't work."

"Do you love him?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shook her head and quickly shuffled into her room, sat on the bed and opened her books.

She spent the rest of the night in her room, but then finally came out to apologize to Lorelai.

"I'm sorry I was rude earlier but I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to finish school and move on with my life. Really." She assured her mom.

Lorelai sighed. "If you are sure. I just want you to know that I'm here for you kid."

Rory gave her mom a quick hug. "Thanks, but I'm fine. I'm going down to Luke's to get some food and to read a bit. You want anything?"

"Just a doughnut. And tell me I'm pretty." said Lorelai.

"You know you are." said Rory, grabbing her coat. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Doughnut!" called Lorelai after her.

Rory sat down at a table and tried to focus on her work. She ate her pile of fries absently, occasionally having a drink from her cup of coffee as well. Then a familiar presence was standing next to her. Rory looked up.

"Hey Dean." she said somewhat shyly.

"Hey Rory I heard you were back in town." he said. "I didn't see you around though."

"Yeah I've been so busy with school." she said, glad that he didn't seem mad at her anymore. "Want to sit down?"

"Sure." Dean took a seat, looking intently at her. "How have you been?"

"I've been okay, not much to talk about." said Rory. "What about you? Have you been doing anything new?"  
"I've gotten really into S & M." said Dean.

Rory looked shocked.

"I'm just kidding." said Dean. "I haven't been doing too much either."

Rory smiled. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too. It's been way too long." said Dean.

"Dean do you think we could be friends?" Rory asked.

"Of course. Whatever you want." Dean said. Rory thought he was putting more meaning into it than his words conveyed, but she couldn't be sure. Did he still want a relationship with her? He had broken up with her the last time. Rory smiled back at him but was really wondering just how he felt about her.

* * *

Rory spent a lot of time with Dean for the two months, hanging out and catching up on old times. Lorelai was surprised that Dean was over at the house so much but was glad that they seemed to be just friends, at least at this point. She knew Rory was in no place to start dating again so soon after the miscarriage and breaking up with Logan.

So one day Dean and Rory were sitting on the couch, watching tv when Dean finally picked up the remote and muted the tv.

"Rory what happened with you?" he asked, looking at her earnestly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"You aren't the same anymore at all. Why did you come back to Stars Hollow? I know there's something you haven't been telling me."

"You think you know me so well" Rory started to say but Dean interrupted her. "I _do_ know you so well. And you know that you can talk to me."

"Fine, I had a boyfriend and now I don't and thats why I'm home." She said shortly.

"Logan?" Dean asked.

"How did you know about him?" said Rory.

"The whole town was talking about him after you two visited here. So what happened between the two of you?"

For some reason Rory felt like she could talk to Dean. But she also wasn't sure if she wanted to date him and if telling him the story would ruin her chances. Finally she decided to talk.

"Well Logan and I were dating and then his family kicked him out and he lost all his money and everything, so we were living together. And he had a lot of trouble getting back on his feet but he finally found a job and things were going okay until I found out that I was pregnant."

"You were pregnant!" Dean exclaimed. She obviously wasn't now, so what had happened? "Did he do something to you?" he asked, feeling a surge of protectiveness.

"No of course not!" Rory said. "Just we got our own place and then I got mugged one night and had a miscarriage. And then I wasn't sure if I loved him anymore so I left."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Not really. I just didn't want to have a big argument with him about it, I mean it's done, over, in the past."

Rory suddenly turned to him, and leaned in to kiss him.

Dean put out his hand, and pushed her gently away.

"Rory, I know you still love him." he said. "You are confused and sad and I know you may not want to believe it, but I know you and I know you love him."

Rory could feel the tears coming, tears she hadn't cried since the evening several months ago when a stranger had knocked her down and taken her purse. Her face burned with embarrassment at having made a move and been turned down.

"Why do you mean, I still love him? I haven't seen him in more than two months!"

"I know. But Rory thats how you deal with things. You pretend that everything is fine and nothing is bothering you. But this time it worked too well. You made yourself feel nothing at all, because it hurt too much to feel. I know that what happened was terrible but you can't let it sit there forever, you have to move past it."

"I have." said Rory defensively.

"No you haven't. It's still there, preventing you from feeling. You never even cried for it did you?"

"So when did you get to be an expert, Freud?"

Dean sighed. "I'm not Rory. I just know you and I know how you feel. And I know that you are going to be unhappy forever unless you get past this. And just forgetting about it, and your boyfriend and focusing on someone new isn't the answer. You have unresolved issues with Logan."

Rory stared at her feet, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in his words.

"Rory, do you really want to forget about Logan and be with me?" Dean asked. "I want an honest answer, think about it."

Rory bit her lip and thought. "No." she said quietly.

Dean smiled. "Rory you shouldn't go to someone else just because its familiar."

"You were always there for me. You always loved me." said Rory.

"Well I did, and I still love you, just not in the same way. I want you to be happy. I don't know Logan and I don't know what kind of guy he is, but I do know that you love him. You just shut yourself off from your feelings for him because you didn't want to feel anything at all."

"I guess you are right." said Rory, trying to hold back the tears that were long overdue in coming. "How did you know?"

"Because I know you. And I know how you react. And when you don't want to talk, when you want to avoid and just get away thats because you aren't dealing with it."

"How did you get to be so smart?" Rory asked with a small smile.

"I finally recognized something similar in myself. I still love Lindsay. I probably messed everything up with her forever, but I'm still going to try. And I think you really need to talk to Logan."

"He probably hates me." sniffled Rory. "I just left. I don't even know where he is now." The tears were coming freely now and Rory grabbed a tissue.

Dean wrapped his arms around her but she felt nothing more than friendship and compassion from him.

Suddenly it all came to Rory, how she had just left, leaving just a note, how she had avoided thinking about Logan for months, how much she missed him, and yes how much she loved him. She spent the rest of the night crying, crying for the baby and for Logan and the life they were supposed to have had together. She cried for the missed time and for the fact that Logan had probably moved on by now. She cried for everything that she hadn't cried for all this time.

When Lorelai came home Dean excused himself and left Rory with her mom, the person she really needed then. Lorelai didn't ask any questions, just held her daughter and let her cry and get everything out. She knew that this was a good sign, that Rory was really thinking now, and acknowledging that something _had_ happened and things _weren't_ fine.


	26. Chapter 26

The next morning Rory woke up on the couch, and Lorelai was sleeping next to her, with her arms still wrapped around her. Gently Rory tried to get up but Lorelai stirred and opened her eyes.

"Feeling better?" she asked sleepily.

"Sort of." said Rory. "I have to find Logan. I really need to talk to him." There was a hint of desperation in her voice. She realized how wrong she had been to leave the way she did and was anxious to make it right.

Lorelai nodded.

"I don't even know if he will talk to me, or want to be with me or anything but I at least need to see him and apologize. And I would love if he could come to graduation, but I don't know about that either."

"Just take it one step at a time." said Lorelai. She didn't make any of her usual jokes because she knew how much Rory was hurting right now. "He might be angry Rory, but if he means a lot to you then fight for him. Then at least you can say you tried."

It was Rory's turn to nod. Her mind was racing. She wanted to hop into the car and drive to the old apartment, hope that he was there and would at least hear her out. Instead she got into the shower while Lorelai went to get food from Luke's. It was never good to go out on an empty stomach.

Rory spent extra time in front of the mirror, trying to make herself look great. It was the most effort she had put into her appearance in a while and she was satisfied with the results. Despite the strain of the last few months Rory knew she still looked great, and hoped that Logan would think so too.

"Food!" came the call from the living room.

Rory rushed out and quickly gulped down her breakfast. "Sorry mom, I gotta go!" she called as she ran out the door.

Lorelai followed her and gave her a quick hug. "Good luck. And remember whatever he says you can always come back here if you want."

Rory nodded again and zoomed off in her car. She didn't even think about what she would do if he wasn't at the old apartment. She was barely even scared, just nervous and excited. Now that she let herself feel again it came back with a vengeance and her heart felt like it could burst with how much she loved and missed him.

But when she got to the old apartment it was empty. Their names were no longer on the bell or the mail box. She knocked on a neighbors door, asking if they knew Logan and when he had left.

"That kid left more than a month ago." the neighbor said gruffly.

"Do you know where he went?" Rory asked desperately.

"No. Just moved out." said the man.

"How did he look? Was he okay? Did he look drunk?"

"Enough with the questions! I just heard him moving out. That's all."

"Well thanks." said Rory, disappointed that she didn't have any news of Logan.

Rory went spent the rest of the day hunting for Logan. She went to Yale and asked for anyone who would have known him. She called her grandparents to ask if he still worked there, and on being told that he didn't asked if they had heard from him or knew where he was.

She had no luck in finding him for several hours until someone told her that she thought he lived in an apartment building close to campus.

Rory drove straight there and started knocking on every door, not caring what the people thought of her.

Finally she knocked on a door and Marty opened it.

"Hey Rory!" said Marty, surprised. "What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived."

Rory felt flustered. "I didn't, I was looking for Logan." she explained.

"You came to the right place." Marty said, opening the door a little wider so Rory could see Logan sitting on the couch.

She was confused. Before she could even apologize or say any of the millions of things that she had been meaning to say to him she blurted out. "Why are you living with Marty?"

Logan gave her a slight smile as he answered. "Because I'm gay now. Very very gay."

The slight smirk told Rory that he was joking. And then she looked at him and noticed how great he looked. He was clean and dressed well, didn't look hungover or unhappy at all. 'Was he better off without me?' she asked herself.

Marty excused himself so the two could talk.

"Logan I'm really sorry that I left like that. I spent all day looking for you." Rory looked at him apologetically.

Logan had never been able to resist her looks. He got up and went over by her.

"Why did you leave?" he asked.

"I left because I thought I didn't love you. But I do." she said earnestly.

"Remember the night when I was going to leave and you said that no matter what we were in this together and we had to talk about things?"

"Yeah..." said Rory slowly.

"Well you shut me out. You were gone before you even left and nothing I could say or do was changing that."

"I know." said Rory sadly. "I feel so bad about that. I took things really badly and then I just kind of shut off from everything but I know it was horrible."

"I'm not going to say it didn't hurt, but I sort of understood. But you told me the same thing once, you can't just run away when things are tough. I went and got drunk to isolate myself from what I was feeling and you did the same thing by leaving."

Rory nodded sadly. She wasn't sure if Logan was going to forgive her or if he was just trying to tell her how he felt.

"God do you look good though." said Logan, unable to resist wrapping his arms around her.

Rory smiled, suddenly feeling like she had the upper hand. "How long is that going to work for me?" she asked teasingly.

"Lets find out." said Logan, pulling her into the apartment. There would be time to talk about everything later. All that mattered now was that Rory was back. Rory allowed herself to be pulled into the apartment, to kiss him, but all the while questions whirled through her brain. What had happened in the last few months?


	27. Chapter 27

Not too long after this they were lying in bed together, cuddling up against each other. Rory was surprised that Logan didn't seem angry with her. He hadn't really seemed angry with her at all even though she knew how terrible it was to have left him like that and shut him out of her life for so long.

"So do you want to savor this or should we start talking now?" she finally asked.

"One more second." said Logan, crushing her to him. Then he released her a little. "Okay, lets talk now."

"Where do you want to start? The apology? The explanation? The questions?" Rory asked.

"Well I think you apologized when you first got here, so I guess first the explanation and then the questions." said Logan.

"Well I freaked out and left, that part you know. So what else do you want me to explain?"

"What made you come back?" asked Logan, looking at her intently.

Rory took a deep breath. "I talked with an old friend."

"Old boyfriend?" asked Logan.

"Yeah. Dean. But nothing happened. We had just been hanging out and he asked me what was wrong and I told him and I tried to tell him that I was over it all but he didn't believe me. He kept insisting that I still love you."

"Does he still love you?" Logan asked with a hint of jealousy.

"No, he loves his ex wife. He just knows me really well. And he knew that I was just shutting myself off from everything. And then I cried finally, and for the first time I started to feel better."

"Then what?"

"I panicked. I realized what I had done to you, to us, and that I still loved you and wanted to be with you so I tried to find you as soon as possible. I'm really really sorry Logan. I can't believe that you are even willing to talk to me, much less forgive me."

"I believe that was an apology, which we've already covered. And I guess you've explained, so what questions do you have?"

"Why are you living with Marty?" she asked. "I didn't know you two were even friends."

"Well a lot has happened since you left. Marty and I became friends on the day that I helped him to bartend and I've been working with him a lot since, and he asked me if I wanted to move in. He's a really cool guy."

"What happened with my grandmother?" Rory asked, having a million questions and wondering in what order to ask them.

"The day after you left she came out and fired me with no explanation. I figured she heard about us and was all too willing to get rid of me." he said.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I didn't mention anything to her, but maybe something got around. She probably figured that I wouldn't want to see you around there.

"Yeah well it doesn't matter. Something better came along." Logan smirked. Rory couldn't believe how much like his old self he was again. He was cocky, confident and definitely teasing her.

"What? What happened?" Rory squirmed in his arms, trying to turn to face him.

"Well I found a way to screw over dear old dad a little bit and make some money in the process." Logan grinned, it had felt good, damn good to stick it to Mitchum Huntzberger, even just a little.

"What did you do?" Rory asked, shocked.

"Well it wasn't too much, its just a drop in the bucket to him, but still it showed him that I wasn't about to crawl under a rock and die. I found out that in trying to excise me from his life he missed a couple spots. I was so close to graduating and after graduation I was supposed to learn the family business. Well it turns out that he had already turned over a couple of the smaller newspapers to me, just put them in my name so I could really start learning what it was all about. He put them in my name because he wanted me to take responsibility for them, and also because they were pretty small, so their success or failure didn't really matter to him. They were just supposed to be practice. I sort of remember him telling me about it on one of the trips, but I didn't pay much attention at the time. Hell I was probably drunk. And when all the craziness started he forgot to get my name back off them because they were such small affairs. So now, I am the proud owner of 2 small newspapers. There were three but I sold one to raise some cash. I took legal possession of them, and everything was legit so Mitchum can't say anything about it." Logan smirked.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it!" said Rory. "You own papers?"

"Yeah, I own papers."

"What papers?" Rory asked, excited.

"Well one of them is the Stars Hollow Gazette. Mitchum had just recently acquired it but it was so far under his radar that he completely forgot about it. Now the reader base is very small, but I'm sure we could increase it."

"The Stars Hollow Gazette? You own the Stars Hollow Gazette!" Rory exclaimed.

"Yeah the whole thing went pretty well. I got a call from one of the papers asking about an offer to buy it, which was how I found out I owned it in the first place. The first thing I did was make sure that there was no legal recourse Mitchum would have when he found out that I was taking possession and then I checked out the offer. It was a pretty good offer so I sold that paper and I've been looking into the other two."

"What's the other paper?" Rory asked.

"The Hartford Courier. That was the biggest one of the three. The third one was in Nevada so I decided to keep the ones that are nearby and see if they can become at all profitable. I figured I'd hang on to them until you came back and took a look."

"Didn't you ever think that I wasn't coming back?"

"Of course I did. I thought everyday that there was a good chance that you were never going to come back and that I had lost you forever. I just realized that I need to live for me. I can't depend on you all the time. And I was determined that if you did ever come back I was going to have something to show you."

"How did you get to be so mature?" Rory wondered, looking at him with admiration. "I completely fell apart."

"I don't know. I guess there was more to me than I thought."

He gave her a quick kiss, still holding on to her as if he could physically prevent her from ever leaving again.

Suddenly there was a sharp, impatient knock on the door. Rory jumped a little, startled, as Logan got up, pulling on his pants as Rory slipped into a robe. Logan was finally decent enough to answer the door.

As the door swung open Logan's mouth dropped open in surprise.


	28. Chapter 28

Mitchum Huntzberger stood in the doorway.

Rory just sat there, unable to speak. Logan looked shocked and none too pleased.

Before he could say anything, Mitchum began making small talk.

"Logan, how have you been?" Mitchum asked pleasantly, as if the last time they had spoken Logan hadn't been evicted from his yard.

Logan stammered out a reply. "Fine, I guess."

"That's good. You are probably wondering why I'm here." Mitchum was suddenly all business.

Logan nodded mutely.

"I'm here because your mother and I have reconciled. I don't want to go through my life without her, so I've decided to forget about the past and take her back. It's not like I haven't had a few, um, indiscretions myself. So I wanted to extend that offer to you as well. She wants you in our lives, and even though you aren't biologically mine, you are still my son. You have better business instincts than I thought you did and I'm willing to legally recognize you as my son and heir. What do you say?"

Logan sat silent, stunned for a minute, but then the words just seemed to spill out of him.

"You know at first I missed you, and the family and the life I had, until I realized how dysfunctional it was to even miss it. We were never happy. I didn't know what happy was. You make being part of the family sound like a business proposition. So no, I don't want be your son anymore, and you know why? Because I don't want to end up like you. I don't want to sit behind some horrible desk day after day while the whole time everything that made me alive is shriveling up and dying. I don't want to live on edge every day wondering when you will decide you don't want me anymore. I don't want to lose my feelings and my compassion. I don't want to be cold and hard like you are. I want to be able to choose my own life and I want to offer my kids the future that they want, not the future that I want for them. I'm sick of all the rules and social conventions. I want to do everything my way. I don't want to be surrounded by a crowd of sycophants who tell me nothing but what they think I want to here, because they are groveling and begging for scraps of money or power. So no, sorry, I don't think that I can ever be part of your plan or your family again because I've seen what its made you and I've seen what it was making me. I have a better life now and I did it on my own. I don't need your money or the career you had planned out for me. I don't need Yale or any other school. And now I can say to you what I've always wanted to say to you, for my entire life. Screw you, get out of my life!"

Mitchum stepped back from the fury of Logan's words.

"I don't think you know what you are talking about. I understand that you are angry with me for the way I treated you, and I admit that it was wrong, but I've apologized so you need to get over it and come back to the family. You can't just walk away from your relatives. And Shira, Honor and I are your family, like it or not. So grow up and get over it."

"Oh I did grow up, and I grew out of needing you. You always want people to jump through your hoops, well I'm not jumping anymore. I'll have a relationship with Honor, and with mom and I'll even be polite to you but I want to make this very clear, I want nothing from you or anyone else, and I don't want to be in any part of your plans. I have my own life now and thats the way I like it. All those years I desperately wanted the courage to say no to you, to do what I wanted instead of being pushed through that one door. Well I have that courage now and I'm living my own life. So please leave." Logan gestured to the door.

Stiff with anger Mitchum turned and walked out without another word.

Rory sat stunned on the couch. "I can't believe you said all that to him."

Logan sat down next to her, shaking. "Neither can I. But I meant every word. I don't want any part of that life anymore. If I have anything its going to be because I got it myself. I don't want to answer to anybody for how I live."

Rory gave him a kiss. "I love that about you. So what are we going to do now?"

"Well are you back for good?" asked Logan.

Rory nodded. "Yes, I am. No matter what I know now that I want to be with you."

"Then we can get through anything. And right now things are fine. I'm bartending now at this small pub and having a great time. It's more like a party than work, and some little money is coming in from the papers. And with my mom and Mitchum back together he probably won't cause any trouble over the small papers that I do have. I still don't know how my mom could go so back and forth." here Logan shook his head. "Last time I saw her she took a swing at me. But then she was drunk. We both were. Although really thats nothing out of the ordinary."

"Are you allowed to drink at work?" Rory asked.

"I don't need that stuff now. I was avoiding my life before but why would I want to miss it now?" Logan answered. "Sure I have the occasional drink when I'm not working. I've made more friends, mostly Yale students actually who come to the bar and we hang out on weekends."

Rory felt a twinge of jealousy. "I have no right to ask, but were there any other girls?"

Logan shook his head, then stopped. "I did kiss one girl, one night. But thats as far as it went and that was when I realized that I didn't want to be kissing anyone else but you. It was way too soon to move on, no matter how lonely I felt."

Rory was about to reply when Marty wandered back in. "Hey, I didn't know how long I should be gone." he said uncertainly.

Rory stood up to give him a quick hug, forgetting that she was wearing nothing but Logan's robe. "I'm sorry I didn't really say hi before, I was so distracted. But its great to see you and I'm so glad you and Logan are friends now."

With a hint of regret, and slightly uncomfortable, Marty hugged her back. "Yeah, he ended up being pretty okay and a good roommate." Logan knew that Marty had always liked Rory but he also knew that he would not do anything to interfere with their relationship. He was a real friend, not like the group he used to have who would have taken Rory in a second if they thought that they could.

"Logan and I were just talking about what we were going to do. I graduate in less than a month and after that I have no idea what we are going to do."

"Yeah well the lease on this place ends around graduation so I'm moving out. I don't know if you and Logan want to stay, but I'm not sure yet where I'll go. Wherever I find a job, I guess." said Marty.

Rory looked at Logan. "Do you want to live with me again?" she asked him.

Logan nodded. "Of course. But I'm not sure about here. We have to see. I was telling Rory about the newspapers but since I never really had any interest in the business I figured she and I could take a look at them together and then if she wants to run them thats fine with me."

Rory gave Logan a wide-eyed grateful look. "You want me to run your papers?"

"Well you should check them out first. You know meet the staff, read their stuff, see how many subscriptions there are. And Ace, they're _our_ papers." he stressed.

Rory gave him a quick kiss, wanting to avoid the PDA in front of Marty.

"I can't wait to take a look." she said. "I can't believe how much everything has changed since this morning, but in a really good way."

"I couldn't agree with you more."


	29. Chapter 29

Rory and Logan were walking around the office for the Hartford Courier, taking in every aspect of it. Rory was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to begin working here after graduation, trying to turn it into a larger, more productive, paper. The Stars Hollow Gazette would have to wait. That paper would take real money to ever become legitimate. Logan followed her around, enjoying her excitement.

"You'll help me, right?" Rory asked. "You know so much about the newspaper business."

"Yes, much as I tried not to I did actually learn some things." admitted Logan. "And of course I'll help you at first, but then you're on your own."

"Fine with me!" said Rory. "You know it smells like a newspaper office in here. You know how newspaper offices have that smell... like news, and papers. Thats what it smells like in here. I love that smell..."

While Rory went off on a tangent about the smell Logan made sure to get introduced to everyone so they knew who he and Rory were. Rory had decided to leave the current editor in place right now and she would join the team as a reporter. The editor was going to train her in running the paper as well so that when she felt ready to take that step she would have all the training she needed. It promised to be a lot of work, but Rory was looking forward to it.

Logan was glad that Rory was so excited and could pretty much have her dream job right out of school. She was working at a place where she couldn't get fired because she was the boss, where she would have the time she needed to learn the business and help to grow a relatively small newspaper. It seemed pretty perfect. And Logan was still supplementing their income with bartending, which for him was a lot of fun, involved wakeful nights which fit better with his natural schedule, and lots of tips, especially from the women. Logan was glad for the tips but never paid attention to the other girls. He had Rory, who else could compare?

Logan had never had the same ambition and drive that Rory had, but he also wasn't happy sitting around doing nothing, so this seemed like the perfect arrangement. Logan could have fun at his job and earn some money while Rory was working at the career she really wanted, and she had unlimited possibilities in that field. And thanks to Emily Gilmore, Logan knew what hard work was and had no desire to experience it again any time soon.

Logan snapped out of his reverie by Rory tugging on his jacket. "Let's look down here, that looks fun!" she exclaimed, pointing down yet another identical row of cubicles.

"Sure Ace, anything you want." he responded with a smile. Her enthusiasm was infections and he was so glad to have her back, the entire Rory. Before she left she had been there physically but mentally and emotionally she had been gone. Now she was back and in high spirits, which was everything Logan could ask for.

Logan let himself be pulled down that hall and the next. It was a small building because the paper was not very large, even for a city like Hartford. Mitchum had wanted Logan to take over the paper and make it grow as soon as he graduated. He also had plans for Logan to travel around with him more and get more experience in how to run a newspaper as well. Logan was glad that he didn't have to think about that future anymore. As bad as things had seemed before he had never felt so free. And he was helping Rory to achieve her dream. Rory was determined to perfect her writing skills first though, before she became the editor of the paper. She had told Logan that she didn't want to have the job just because they owned the paper. She wanted to know that she would have gotten the job if they didn't, because she was good and would be right for the job.

Rory stopped, rather breathless. "I can't believe this is where I'll be working!" she exclaimed, but quietly. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her new colleagues. "And we are going to be moving into another apartment soon and everything will be great."

Logan put his arm around her. "Yeah I agree, but we have to get you home. If you don't start partying soon you'll never get to bed on time to graduate tomorrow."

Rory nodded in agreement. "Yes I should get horribly drunk early, that way I'll have time to sleep it off and make myself pretty for tomorrow. I still wish that you were graduating with me though."

Logan shrugged. "It was never my dream." he said casually. He did have some regrets but there would be time for school later if he ever felt the need to go back.

They left the building together and Logan got in the drivers side of the car.

"Where are we going?" Rory asked.

"Shhh... it's a secret." whispered Logan.

Rory smiled but didn't pester him for information, just leaned back in the seat and enjoyed the drive.

They got to the bar where Logan worked and Logan stopped the car. He then got up and opened Rory's door for her, leading her into the bar. It was decorated and there was a giant banner on the wall that said "Congratulations Rory!" on it. They had decided to celebrate together today because on the actual day of graduation, tomorrow, Richard and Emily were throwing Rory a party.

Rory looked around and saw Lane and her band set up to play. Marty was there along with Lorelai, Luke and Paris.

Rory beamed at Logan. "Thanks for throwing me a party!" she exclaimed, and then went to give her mom a hug.

After the band played their first set, and Rory got sufficiently drunk for so early in the day, Lane came down and gave her a hug. "I'm so proud of you!" she said.

"Thanks Lane. And the band sounds great."

"Yeah we really worked to prepare for this gig."

"How long has Logan been planning this?" Rory asked.

"He called me around two weeks ago." said Lane.

"So how are you and Zach?" Rory asked.

"Great! And I am so glad that you and Logan were back together. I mean it was nice to have you back in Stars Hollow but you two belong together."

Rory smiled a little. "I'm really starting to think that we do." she confided.

Just then the door burst open, and in came Colin, Finn, Rosemary, Robert, Juliet and Stephanie.

"Oh shit." muttered Rory under her breath.


	30. Chapter 30

Logan stood up and walked towards them, not looking happy.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, ready for a fight.

"Logan we wanted to apologize." said Stephanie quickly, seeing he was in no mood to be joked with.

"We heard that you were having a party for Rory and we wanted to stop by and congratulate her and tell you that we should never have treated you that way." said Rosemary. "And we want to be friends with Rory again. We felt really bad after she yelled at us."

"Yeah we feel really bad about making fun of you at the party." added Robert.

"We really missed you. It hasn't been the same since you weren't part of the group anymore." said Steph.

"We know that nothing that happened was your fault and we should have been there for you. We realized that we weren't very good friends, plus we were drunk." said Colin.

Logan was surprised at their apology. More than that, it seemed genuine.

"We've always been best friends, we just got caught up in the scandal and we wanted to be your and Rory's friend again." said Finn. "Although if you and Rory are breaking up I would really like to take her home tonight."

Rory looked at Logan to see how he would react to the apology. She couldn't even be sure if it was genuine or yet another trick.

Suddenly Logan reached out and shook Finn's hand. "Good to have you at the party." was all he said.

Then he turned and added "But the lady is spoken for."

Grabbing Rory's arm he whispered to her "I hope its okay that they are here."

"Do you trust them?" she whispered back.

Logan nodded quickly. "Yeah, we have always been best friends, no matter what. I guess they just forgot that for a while."

"Then of course its okay. I'm glad they are here."

The both turned back to the newcomers and smiled.

They had already mingled with the crowd, drinking and talking. Most of them dropped by shortly to give Logan a hug or a handshake and some personal apology. They had seen that despite the change in finances he was still Logan Huntzberger, and was still their unofficial leader.

Rory also received many congratulations, which she returned as most of them would be graduating the next day as well.

As Hep Alien took the stage again Logan grabbed Rory's arm to dance. "Are you enjoying the party Ace?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Rory's face was glowing as she answered "It's great. Its like everyone I love in one room. And your friends are even being nice to Marty."

"Well they better." said Logan. "Marty is a good guy."

"It seems weird, like this might be the last time that all these people will be in a room together, until maybe our reunion."

"Yeah besides graduation I guess thats true. But we'll see them around." said Logan.

"Everything is working out so well. Who would have thought that things would be like this that day you showed up on my doorstep." said Rory.

"I never thought I would feel this good again. Thanks Rory." he said, giving her a kiss.

They partied for way too long that night, into the small hours of the morning. Logan was glad to have his friends back and they were sufficiently repentant and drunk for everything to go well. Lorelai and Luke left earlier than everyone else so that they could get some sleep before the ceremony in the morning but the rest of the group stayed up late. Rory spent some time with Logan's friends but she mostly talked with Lane and Paris and occasionally with the rest of the band. She finally reconnected with Logan at the end of the night.

"Hey." she said sleepily.

"Ready to call an end to this party?" he asked.

Rory nodded. "Bed, sleep, Advil." she said.

"You heard the lady!" announced Logan out loud. "Bed sleep Advil and lots of it, because we've got a graduation tomorrow."

Everyone raised their glasses and cheered one last time before clearing out of the place to get ready for the ceremony in what seemed like such a short time.

Rory started to tidy up a little, in a hurry to get home and get some sleep.

"Hey Ace don't worry about cleaning up. Lets just get you to bed. My co workers offered to clean up before opening tomorrow. They even decorated the place. They are a really great crew."

Rory smiled. "Good because I'm falling asleep right here. How can you be so awake?"

"Years of practice."

Logan picked up Rory and carried her easily to the car, putting her in the passenger seat where she promptly fell asleep. He looked fondly at her, then, once Marty had gotten into the back seat he started the car and drove them back to the apartment. Rory had moved in right away, just driving back to Stars Hollow to get a few of her things. Marty didn't mind because although the place was small it had two bedrooms and besides there had only been about a month left on the lease as it was.

The next day Rory sat with the rest of her classmates, dressed in her cap and gown, blinking in the bright sun and listening to all the speeches. Looking out in the audience she could see an entire block of people there to cheer for her. There was her mom, her grandparents, Luke, Lane, Zach, Babbette and Morey, Miss Patty, Kirk, even Taylor was there, taking photos. Stars Hollow now had a Yale graduate, that gave them bragging rights. Rory had a feeling that she was going to end up on the front page of the Stars Hollow Gazette the next morning. She saw Dean there as well, with his arm around Lindsay. She was glad that he had made it to her graduation, and that he had apparently reconciled with Lindsay. And seeing him there with another girl Logan had felt better about him coming at all. And there, next to her mom sat Logan, looking proud and a little bit bored. Rory smiled, still trying to shake the residual tiredness and hangover. Thankfully her grandmother had insisted on bringing her stylist, so while Rory felt tired at least she looked fantastic. She turned her attention back to the speaker, listening gravely to the expected message about looking forward and doing something great with her life and all the many wonderful experiences the class had together. Although the lines were all cheesy, and used in every graduation ceremony since the beginning of time, Rory felt tears come to her eyes. Here was the end of one big chapter in her life, and the start of another.

Finally she heard the words that she had been waiting for. They were all asked to stand as their degrees were conferred on them, and then she proudly moved her tassel from one side to the other. She was officially a graduate, all that was left was to walk that stage and get her diploma. Rory took a deep breath, drinking in the moment. It was a moment that seemed like it would never happen for a while but here she was, on the giant lawn with hundreds of people around her. She smiled a little as she saw Logan in the audience furiously snapping pictures of everything having to do with her graduation.

She stood up and moved with her row to stand by the stage, moving closer and closer until the person in front of her was called. And then she heard the voice announcing "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore" and she stepped across the stage to the cheers of her friends and classmates. She shook hands with the dean and the president and received her degree, then gave a triumphant smile to all the cameras pointed at her and left the stage, returning to her seat with her classmates. She didn't look at the diploma yet, just felt it in her arms and then cheered for the rest of her friends that were graduating as well.

Finally they all stood up together and walked through the crowd to meet up with their families and friends.

Logan immediately gave Rory a huge hug. "Congratulations Ace, you are a college graduate!"

Lorelai demanded a picture of Rory and one of Rory and Logan together. Rory was lost in a whirlwind of congratulations, hugs and pictures which was a little overwhelming but flattering at the same time.

Colin and Finn joined them shortly, shaking her hand and saying hi to Logan. There seemed to be a pact to pretend that nothing had ever happened between them but that was just fine with Rory, she was just glad that they were Logan's friends again.

Then the entire party piled into cars for the party at the Gilmore mansion.


	31. Chapter 31

Rory was rushed upstairs as soon as they got to the house to change and to readjust her hair. She looked in the mirror and couldn't believe that she was a college graduate. And that Logan had been invited to the party. As a guest, not a server. And that her mom and Luke were being make welcome as well. It was all too much to believe.

As she went downstairs the other guests were just beginning to arrive and Rory went to greet them.

"Grandma this party is beautiful, thank you so much for all of this." she gushed. Emily had outdone herself this time, and every aspect was perfect. Rory looked around for her grandfather and saw him talking with a group of Yale alumni.

Suddenly Rory felt an arm around her and turned to see Logan, with a drink in his hand.

"Hey Logan." she said.

"So how long do we have to stay at this thing?" he asked.

Rory laughed. "Well it's my party, so probably a little while."

They mingled with the group, saying hello to everyone but eventually drifting towards Colin, Finn and the rest of the group. Lorelai and Luke joined them for a while too until finally Emily called Rory back into the center of the living room.

"Rory your grandfather and I would like to give you your graduation present now." she said.  
Rory went over and sat by them, feeling awkward and embarrassed in front of all those people but also curious.

"Rory now we weren't able to get your opinion on this or it would ruin the surprise, but we took into account that you told us that you would be working for the Hartford Courier, and how much you like Stars Hollow so we bought you a house there." her grandfather said.

"What?" screeched Rory, almost at the same time as Lorelai did.

"Well we were looking for a nice place for you to live, and we got a medium sized house because we figured that Logan would be living there with you, although we can discuss later how inappropriate that is. And someday you might want to get married and have children. I think this could safely accommodate at least two, possibly three if it's tiny." said Emily.

"Of course you shouldn't plan on having small children." Richard warned her. "But if thats how it comes out you don't have to worry."

They pulled out pictures to show Rory who was still stunned by the news. It was a charming house, not too big and not too small, with a nice yard and two-car garage.

Rory gave both her grandparents an ecstatic hug.  
"It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "You didn't have to do this, it's way too much."

"Oh nonsense." said Richard. "You are a Yale graduate now, you are joining a very fine group and you deserve to have nice house to live in."

"And you will be in Hartford all the time." said Emily suggestively.

"Of course I'll visit all the time." said Rory. Her mother shot her a 'You see they are manipulating you and yet you still agreed' look.

"I also have something to say." said Logan. "And I figured this would be the best time to embarrass you, while everyone is watching.

Rory turned to look at him, feeling her face burn as he slowly got on one knee.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, will you marry me?" he held out a small but nice ring.

Rory beamed, but the tears that welled up in her eyes spilled down her cheeks.

"Of course I'll marry you." she said as he slipped the ring onto her finger, and then gave her a long deep kiss as the room applauded.

Lorelai and Luke both had tears in their eyes as well as they watched their girl, who suddenly seemed so grown up. Graduated and engaged, all in one day.

Lane came up to give Rory a hug, as did her grandparents and her mom. Rory was at first worried about what her grandparents would say about the engagement but they seemed to have warmed up towards Logan now that he was a legitimate businessman, the owner of two newspapers, so they welcomed him to the family.

As soon as they were more alone she whispered to him "I can't believe you just sprung that on me!"

He gave her a playful kiss. "Well that way you couldn't say no."

"I couldn't say no anyway." she said, kissing him back. "I love the ring."

"It was all I could afford."

"I don't even like big rings. It would be like you were trying to buy me or something." she said.

"Well I did work out a deal with you mom. I'm getting two goats and a cow, plus all her pots and pans."

"Only one cow! She must have no faith in my ability to attract eligible men."

"Well your grandparents threw in the house so it seemed like a good bargain."

"Yeah, if it's big enough for the goats and cow."

"I'm more worried about you hurting yourself with the pots and pans."

"Oh I know what to do with the. They get stored in something called a cabinet, and then never ever touched, looked at or thought about again."

They laughed together.

"I can't believe they bought me a house." said Rory.

"Yeah I can't wait to check it out. Assuming you want me to live with you." added Logan.

"No, I just want to marry you, under the assumption that you would live elsewhere." Rory said sarcastically.

"When can we take a look?" Logan asked, ignoring her.

"Want to drive out to Stars Hollow after the party?"

"Of course."

"I hope you like living there. I mean its always going to be my town, but you haven't seen the half of it yet."

"I'm sure I'll love it. It has a lot of ... character."

"Or characters." added Rory.

"Yeah that too. Don't worry about it, things will be great." Logan gave her a reassuring kiss that deepened and threatened to lead to more until Luke wandered up to them.  
"Hey Rory." he said. "I didn't really get a chance to talk to you earlier but I wanted to say congratulations, you know on your graduation and getting engaged."

"Thanks Luke!" Rory said genuinely, glad that he was oblivious to what had been going on before he came.

"So you kids are really getting married?" he asked awkwardly, not knowing what else to say.

Rory nodded. "If he doesn't change his mind."

"Trust me, I won't." Logan assured her.


	32. Chapter 32

A couple weeks had passed since the night of graduation and Rory and Logan were just getting finished moving all of their things into their new house. It was a perfect house, they agreed. They had gone there the night of graduation and had explored every part of it, going through the cabinets and closets, planning where everything would go. They had talked about the wedding too, how soon they wanted to have it, what their last name would be.

Logan had reconciled with his mother and had been in touch with Honor but still barely spoke to Mitchum. He wasn't sure if Rory should change her name to Huntzberger when they got married, even though that was still his legal name. And there was so much planning to do for the wedding, although Shira and Emily had gotten together many times over the last couple weeks to plan the wedding and go through every detail of what it would be like. Of course Rory and Lorelai felt left out but Emily assured them that they would be included. And Rory had finally decided to change her name to Huntzberger. "Maybe we can change the connotations." she had suggested.

Logan was washing some dishes after dinner when he heard Rory's voice from the bathroom.

"Oh you have got to be freakin' kidding me!" he heard her yell.

Immediately concerned, he looked of from the dishes. "What is it? Are you okay?"

Rory emerged from the bathroom. "I'm pregnant." she announced.

"Again?" he asked incredulously.

"Again." confirmed Rory. "What are we, bunnies?" she added, amazed that in the short time since they had gotten back together she had managed to get pregnant again.

"Oh great, now we can tell our baby that the first thing you said when you found out was 'you've got to be freakin' kidding me!'"

"I'm pregnant." Rory repeated slowly.

Logan too realized for the first time that once again she was pregnant. They smiled at each other.

"Wait why are we making this sound like a bad thing?" asked Logan.

"I don't know." responded Rory.

"You know I'm not leaving your side until the baby is born, don't you?" Logan said.

Rory jumped into his arms. "I'm pregnant!" she shouted jubilantly. "But what about my job?" she asked. "I love my job."

"And I love mine." Logan responded. "But being the king of sloths comes in handy. I'll be here with the baby during the day and then I can still bartend at night when you are here."

"We won't ever see each other."

"Sure we will, I don't work every night so there is still plenty of time to hang out."

Rory smiled at him.

"Are you absolutely sure you are pregnant?" Logan asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I feel exactly how I did... the last time. And I took the test just now."

"Sorry to ask again, but are you sure it's mine?" Logan asked.

"Yes, it's yours silly." Rory said, giving him a kiss.

"Should we tell people?" Logan asked, meaning of course her mom.  
"I don't know. I mean I'm not sure I should tell people until I know that this one will be okay. I mean they always say the first trimester anything can happen." Rory said, trying to be logical, but dying to call her mom and tell her.

"Well then lets just tell a few people. It doesn't have to be common knowledge." suggested Logan.

"Okay!" said Rory. "Want to meet her and Luke for dinner and tell them then?"

"Yeah, lets do that."

"I'll set it up for tomorrow." Rory said as she picked up the phone.

They met for dinner the next day at Lorelai's house. They were all busy and didn't have time to go out somewhere fancy so Luke just cooked them all a nice dinner. Rory was glad though, because the setting would be a lot more private for the announcement she was about to make.

When they all finally sat down Logan nudged Rory. They weren't really nervous about the news because Lorelai had already heard it once before and had been mostly happy for them and they were also engaged, about to be married this time.

"Mom, Luke" Rory started. "Logan and I have some news."

They looked up at her expectantly.

"I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed.

"Really?" Lorelai said, giving her a hug. "Is this what you want?" she added, giving her daughter a critical look.

"Yes, it is." Rory assured her.

"What you both want?" Luke asked, getting over his shock and looking meaningfully at Logan.

"There's an ongoing debate on who is happier." Logan said, trying to assure Luke that he was not about to take off or anything like that.

"Rory what about your career?" asked Luke.

"Well Logan will be home during the day, I'll be there at night. I mean its one tiny baby, how hard can it be?" asked Rory.

Lorelai laughed. "Well I got lucky with you, so you never know."

"We are really happy about it. I mean everything is going really well for us, and we wanted to have at least one, so why wait?" explained Logan.

"Yeah and my job isn't really in jeopardy if I take some time off." said Rory. "I can still write from home too, or edit or something."

"Well if you need any help or advice or anything you know you can ask me." Lorelai gave her daughter another hug.

"So have you told the Gilmores?" Luke asked.

"No, and I'm not going to." said Rory. "The baby can tell them."

Lorelai laughed. "I think they are starting to like Logan. And if the wedding is soon enough..."

"We want time to plan it first. I'm not going to rush my wedding just because I'm pregnant."

"I take that back about being lucky with you." said Lorelai. "You do know they are going to blame me." she started imitating Emily. "Really Lorelai, I can't be shocked with the example you set for your daughter."

"I'll tell them, don't worry about it." Rory promised. "We just aren't telling people yet. We told you, but thats about as far as it goes for now."

"We won't say anything." said Lorelai, looking at Luke who nodded.

"Not until you want it out." Luke agreed.

"Thanks you guys!" Rory then started eating with relish. "This is really good Luke."

Lorelai didn't stop though. "Just for future reference though, you do know that they make this thing called a condom."

Rory rolled her eyes.

Lorelai continued. "Yeah it's really cool, if you wear one you don't have babies!"

"I know mom." said Rory. "I'm ignoring you and eating now."

"I know what to get you as a wedding present now." Lorelai continued. "How long do you think you will be married for? I want to make sure I get enough."


	33. Chapter 33

Three months later Rory stood in a room in some fancy resort, getting help with her wedding dress. She couldn't believe that this day was already here, nor could she believe how much she was already showing. 'I'm going to look fat in my wedding pictures.' she thought glumly. But then she remembered that she wasn't just fat, she was having a baby, and not just any baby, it was Logan's baby.

Lorelai was fussing around her, along with Lane and Honor.

"You look just gorgeous Rory." said Honor. "I can't believe you got my brother to settle down."

"Well he'd better." said Lorelai darkly.

Rory laughed. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"I can't believe you are getting married today." said Lane. "And you are pregnant. You are just doing everything at once."

"Yeah it's scary." admitted Rory. "But I've already got a job and a house and everything."

"And can you believe, mom's actually happy about you joining the family." said Honor.

"What does Mitchum think?" Rory dared to ask.

Honor made a face. "Who cares?" she said. "I mean he isn't unhappy about it, but you know his and Logan's relationship. It'll never be good."

Rory nodded. "I'm kinda glad he isn't coming to the wedding." she admitted.

"Logan wouldn't let him if he tried." said Honor.

"It's probably better that way."

"Much better." Honor agreed and fussed with Rory's dress.

"Well kid are you ready to go out there?" Lorelai asked, surveying her offspring proudly.

Rory glanced one more time at herself in the mirror. Of course the dress was way too frilly (her grandmother had picked it out) and her hair was tight and making her scalp ache and the shoes were killing her feet. But she did look pretty. She didn't bother much with the plans for the wedding. After all, it was way more important to the family than it was to her and Logan. They were committed to each other, no matter what a piece of paper said.

"Well I'm ready." Rory finally said.

"That's good. You were about to miss your wedding." Lorelai commented. "I think the music is playing."

Rory rushed out of the room so that she wouldn't miss getting married.

Luke was there to walk her down the aisle to Logan. Christopher had always been an on again, off again father and at this point he was off again, off to Europe the last they heard. But Rory didn't let it ruin her wedding. Luke had always been more of a father to her than Chris had ever been.

And then she spotted Logan, waiting at the alter. He smiled slightly when he saw her, and as Luke handed her off he leaned over and whispered in your ear "You look beautiful."

She smiled a little and stood in front of the alter, ready to take the vows that would make them husband and wife.

The wedding reception was a huge affair, and a mix of old and young, the rich friends of the Gilmores and the people from Stars Hollow. The whole thing was definitely going to be talked about for years to come.

Rory and Logan sat at the place of honor at the big table, surrounded by family and friends. They had barely had time to speak to each other all day, which was somewhat ironic being that this was the day they were supposed to become joined forever. There were so many people to greet though and dances, and hugs and handshakes all around.

When he could Logan looked over at her to see how happy his new wife was. She looked radiant in the frilly dress, although he had stifled a laugh when he had first seen her because it really wasn't her style. And it had to be slightly adjusted to accommodate their growing child.

He was interruped from these thoughts by Shira and Honor, coming up and giving him a big hug.

"Logan I can't believe you are married!" squealed Honor. "I was telling Rory earlier I can't believe you are actually settled down."

"I can't believe it either." Logan said thoughtfully. "I never though I'd be so lucky."

"You are lucky." said Honor. "She actually wants to put up with you forever."

"I hope it stays that way."

"Well Logan, look at you in the tux. You look so handsome." Shira gushed. She was halfway to being completely drunk but at least right now she was able to hold a conversation. "Let's tell him about the gift." she said, slightly louder than she meant to Honor.

"Shouldn't we wait for Rory?" suggested Honor. "She is my new sister and your new daughter, after all."

"Right..." said Shira, looking around. Finally she spotted Rory and motioned for her to come over.

"Rory we were just about to tell Logan about our wedding present to you two."

"What?" asked Rory.

"Well," continued Honor. "You know that pub you work at?" she asked Logan.

He nodded.

"We bought it for you!" she exclaimed, giving a little hop of excitement.  
"What?!" Logan and Rory said together.  
"Yeah well you seemed to like working there, and it's very popular with the students in the area, so it should be a good investment." said Honor.

Shira nodded. "We wanted you to be your own boss. Especially with the baby coming." she said, drunkenly poking at Rory's stomach.

Logan gave Rory an apologetic look. Then he gave Shira and Honor a big hug. "That is way too much, thank you!" he said. "I didn't even know the place was for sale."

"Everything is for sale at the right price." Honor reminded him. Then she pressed the keys into his hand. "The deed is somewhere in that pile of gifts." she said, vaguely gesturing towards the pile.

"I can't believe this!" said Logan.

"Now we both own our jobs." agreed Rory.

"That will definitely make time for the baby. Hell we could have another if we wanted." said Logan.

Rory gave him a slight push. "Lets just worry about getting this one out first." she said laughing.

"The first one is harder but after that its much easier." said Shira. "After the first one they kind of slide on out."

Rory and Logan looked at each other, disgusted. "Thanks mom, I appreciate the info." said Logan. He then steered her to a seat so she could get all the way drunk without falling over.

When he and Rory finally got a moment to themselves he gave her a passionate kiss. "I can't believe all of this. I own the bar! I can go in when I want, and everything. And it is a very popular bar."

"I know. That was a really nice gift." said Rory.

"Honor must have picked it out. I doubt my mom even really knew what was going on in my life."

"I'm still glad you two are talking again." said Rory. "It's sad not to talk to your mom. Mitchum we can do without though."

"I couldn't agree more Ace. Now lets get back to the party."

He grabbed her hand and they rejoined the crowded room.


	34. Chapter 34

The next day at the house Logan and Rory slept late, exhausted from all the partying. As a wedding present Rory's grandparents and her mom and Luke had all pitched in to send them on an amazing honeymoon, starting with a Hawaiian cruise and ending up in Greece. In total they would be gone for almost two months, but that didn't start until the next week. Rory would get back in time for her third trimester, because traveling wasn't recommended that late in a pregnancy. They were both excited about the trip but were also excited to get home, get back to work and have a baby. Plus Rory would be writing a travel column while their, covering everywhere they visited and sending the pieces back to the newspaper. She was excited although Logan wanted her to have more fun and less work. Knowing Rory though, that would never happen.

When the finally got up and had breakfast their house was suddenly invaded by Colin and Finn.

Rory, used to such things by now, took it in stride and left them alone while she threw up her breakfast.

"Hey Logan, where's the old ball and chain?" Finn asked. Rory, who had just entered the room behind him cleared her throat.

"What I meant was the wonderful, sweet and very attractive ball and chain." Finn quickly corrected himself.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Logan, lounging on the couch.

"Well we wanted to make sure that you two didn't stay in bed all day. Your child might get shaken baby syndrome." said Colin.

"Yes, it was pure concern for the little Huntzberger."

"I'm sure." said Logan.

"Actually, because we are graduated and you are married, we wanted to have one final, big stunt for the Life and Death Brigade before we all go off and get responsible." said Colin.

"Yes and since your honeymoon coincidentally coincides with some excellent locations..." continued Finn.

"Sorry guys, as much as I love putting my life at risk, I'm going to have to sit this one out. I've got a family to think of." said Logan, looking over at his new wife and the bulge that was his child.  
"Oh don't worry." said Finn. "If something were to happen to you one of us would look after Rory."

Logan smiled. "As comforting a thought as that is, I just can't anymore. But I promise to watch from the ground."

"If thats the best we can hope for..." said Colin.

"Well if you really want to endanger your lives, I'll tell you what I can do, I'll plan the event." suggested Logan. "There's so many ideas I never got to use."

"Sounds fair." Colin and Finn agreed.

Rory smiled. "I'll help you plan." she said. "There needs to be one voice of reason. And since I can't drink for a while I guess its going to have to be me."  
"Will you also be participating in the terrestrial festivities?" Finn asked.

"I wouldn't miss it!" Rory said enthusiastically. "As long as it's safe."

"I don't envy you." said Colin. "That baby is going to have a whole lot of Logan in him."

"Or her." Rory said quickly. "Besides, thats what I'm hoping for."

"I heard it was good luck to grope pregnant women." Finn said suddenly.

"I think that it's supposed to be good luck to touch their stomach..." said Rory. "But you stay the hell away from me."

"Yeah come on guys, thats my wife you are talking about." said Logan.

"Wives are fine with me." said Colin.

Logan gave him a whack on the shoulder. "Okay you ruined it, everybody out." he said, but wasn't really angry. "We need some time alone."

The two visitors shuffled out and Logan gave Rory a kiss. "Sorry about those guys." he said.

"What was that all about?" Rory asked.

"Oh it's always been a joke between us that we were going to cheat with each others wives. You know, all for one, one for all. Trust me, it's not going to happen."

"I hope not!" said Rory.

"I'll tell them to cut it out." said Logan.  
"It's funny, now that I know they aren't serious." said Rory.  
"I think it's half serious. I mean look at you Ace, your gorgeous."

Rory smiled at him. "Well we have some planning to do." she started. "Especially we have to plan some alone time for the two of us."

"Of course." Logan assured her. "I don't want to spend the entire honeymoon with them. And they are probably going to grow up and become boring and responsible after this."

"Well then what's the craziest thing we can think of?" Rory asked.

They discussed the plans for the Life and Death Brigade stunt for some time, periodically ending up back in bed as well.

"So Mrs. Huntzberger, are you happy?" Logan asked her finally.

"Mmm hmmm." she murmured, sleepily.

"We are leaving for our honeymoon soon, and then when we get back we are going to have a baby. Sounds perfect." Logan looked at her hair tumbled across his shoulder.

He didn't say anything more, just let her sleep there nestled against him and thought about all the things he had to look forward to now, where before it had seemed like his life was over.

His wife slept on by his side but Logan was awake for a long time, content, ready for anything that could come their way in the future.

The End.

* * *

_I want to thank everyone who has followed this story and all the great reviews you left me. You guys are awesome and I had a great time with this story. And in an act of shameless self-promotion, if any of you are interested in a very sick, twisted and graphic lit check out my new story_ One's Got Class and the Other One Dies. 

_Thanks again for reading!_


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